


Coalesce

by artisticFlutter



Series: Hymn of Rebirth [5]
Category: Final Fantasy IX
Genre: Complications, Dwarves, Eidolons, F/M, Fandom Allusions & Cliches & References, Gaia - Freeform, Gen, Genomes discovered, OCs are named after other Final Fantasy characters, Original Character(s), Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Playing with dialogue, Pregnancy, Referencing skimmed Ultimania, Summoner Tribe, Terra - Freeform, Total Coincidence I mean it, and not by a friend, smut in chapter nine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-15
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:01:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 39,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27031588
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artisticFlutter/pseuds/artisticFlutter
Summary: With the world on a steady course to recovery, Garnet and Zidane find their own world is about to grow. Of course, things can't always remain calm inside or outside of the castle, and trouble may be brewing on the Outer Continent.
Relationships: Garnet Til Alexandros XVII/Zidane Tribal
Series: Hymn of Rebirth [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1805743
Comments: 34
Kudos: 14





	1. First Signs

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Shinji Hashimoto, developed and published by Squaresoft, and re-released since by Square Enix. Please support the official releases.
> 
> Beta Reader(s): Ami and Jo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Queen has been unwell for nearly two weeks. Someone already knows why.

“Dagger… dear, let’s try getting up for a bit…”

Garnet heard those words through a haze and struggled to stir. And once she did, she barely opened her eyes to meet those of her sweet husband gazing back.

So full of warmth, and yet, so worried.

She felt awful – physically and emotionally – making him like this, and she wanted badly to comfort him, but she couldn’t. There was no strength within her to muster up in order to stand or act like she was feeling better, and no energy to try willing her magic to help her either. All she could do was lie in bed and at least try sitting up for him which was a herculean effort itself. Closing her eyes, she swallowed down the bubbling nausea, and her arms shook as she pushed herself up. Zidane’s usually warm hands felt cold when he reached for her and helped her settle against the headboard, a pillow supporting her back.

Her eyes remained closed a second longer to stop her head from spinning. “Thank you, Zidane…”

“You don’t need to thank me, love…” He gently squeezed her hand and she opened her eyes to see his smile. “It’s not fun being sick, but you’ll be better in no time.”

Her eyes stung, but she forced the smallest smile and nodded once to him.

‘Better in no time’ he said and she sincerely hoped, but she wondered if he would remain so optimistic if this continued to persist.

It had already been nearly two weeks of her feeling like this.

The nausea had come first, several days before she was put on bed rest. She couldn’t explain it or think of why it had started, but became worse by the time fatigue caught her. Between struggling to rouse and difficulty eating, the last thing either of them wanted to find out was her temperature had risen. Each symptom had complicated getting out of bed and Zidane quickly summoned Doctor Tot to examine Garnet. Though he called it as a low fever, the doctor had ended up stepping back, tapping both foot and head – his typical tells of befuddlement meaning he wasn’t certain on his diagnosis. He recommended bed rest and increased fluid intake along with medicine, and possibly asking Lady Hildagarde for a second opinion.

A correspondence returned from Hilda via moogle saying her arrival would be delayed until Cid and Eiko got over their own colds, both of them refusing to rest and recover.

It left the young royal couple in limbo, trusting Doctor Tot’s treatment would eventually work, but despite the fever receding, Garnet was struggling to keep anything down. Unable to gain her strength through what little she could eat, concerns grew. Zidane was doing his best to keep spirits up, but when it’s a kingdom worrying for their Queen’s health, it was a battle with himself and the citizens over who would break first.

“You’ll see… trust me,” Zidane whispered, his free hand rising to cup her face. She didn’t know if he was repeating it as a comfort for her or for himself, but she felt her eyes tearing up again. Whether she wanted to consider it or not, she had to think about all potential outcomes - and it wasn’t fair. They were together, happily married, and ruling Alexandria together. Negotiations to address the divide in Treno were on track and Zidane had been traveling to Burmecia to aid in reconstruction and locating other survivors. The great nations were coming back, and with Cid’s steam engine, more people were taking up exploring again and expanding the world.

A despairing chill raced down her spine and she leaned against his shoulder. She prayed to the Gods she didn’t have to leave Zidane alone in this world so soon.

Several soft knocks at the door had the King look up as two maids entered and bowed. Garnet exhaled quietly and mentally prepared herself for the routine. Zidane combed back some of her hair from her forehead before kissing her, sighing himself after. It lacked his usual exuberance and mentally, she berated herself. She needed to stop lingering on the worst possible scenario and try being more optimistic for both their sakes.

His slip was brief and he managed another grin her way.

“I’ll be here when they’re done. C’mon, you know you’ll feel a little better after a bath.”

“Mmm… I know. I usually do.”

Accepting the maids’ assistance, Garnet moved to the side of the bed and rose to unsteady legs, but remained upright thanks to their support. Keeping light in her thoughts, she kept her eyes from watering – she wanted to stop feeling like this, or at least know what was wrong, and she was sure she would in due time. Once she knew, she could estimate how much longer the illness might last. She  _ would  _ get better and show her people there was nothing to worry about, but she dare not attempt to do so if she might fall or faint before them. That would not give them the reassurance they needed after all the words of confidence Zidane, Beatrix, and Steiner were likely attempting to enforce.

She trusted the maids to keep her from falling asleep in the tub, and did feel better with last night’s sweat washed away and being redressed in a clean bedgown. Smoothing one hand over the gown, she ignored the tense knot in her lower abdomen and nodded to her maids, ready to be escorted back.

There was a surprise when she returned to the bedroom: a rather confused Zidane and Quina standing by with what must be breakfast.

“Quina, you’re back,” Garnet said, mustering enough strength for a smile. “Did you find what you needed?”

The Qu individual had always been a rather strange one, but if possible, it seemed to have become exacerbated recently. On Garnet’s second day of bed rest, Quina had come to her and Zidane, but then had promptly hurried out after a minute or two being present in the room. The Queen didn’t know what to assume, and was further befuddled when the last words they’d said were ‘must find’. Though initially worried what Quina insisted they had to find, Zidane assured Garnet not to worry about it, and that they’d come back once they uncovered whatever had suddenly sprung to mind.

“Yes! Plenty! Already cook batch!”

“You have?” Bewildered looks exchanged between husband and wife, the maids besides Garnet tensed when Quina marched towards them and proceeded to usher everyone towards the bed. “Wha--!?”

“E-Easy, Quina…!” Zidane exclaimed, but Quina shook their head.

“All castle knows. Must rest and eat. Feel much better I know,” the gourmand insisted, standing firmly at the bed while the maids hastily settled Garnet back beneath the freshened sheets. That much already had Quina bob their head. “Gourmand nose no lie. Eat to recover and grow. I prepare more meals to help.”

“I feel like we’re missing something…” Zidane mumbled, blinking when they turned to face him. Their tongue flopped as they shook their head.

“Zidane still dummy. Try his best.”

“What’re you talking about? I don’t understand…!” he groaned, rubbing his face with a hand. Garnet didn’t understand any more than him, but their antics drew a small giggle. The maids didn’t comment, too confused themselves by the Qu individual, and decided it was best to dismiss themselves. They bowed to the Queen.

“Is there anything else we can assist you with, Your Majesty?” one asked.

“No. You’ve both done all I need for now, thank you. You may attend to your other duties.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Both maids bowing again, they hurried from the room just in time because Quina had retrieved their serving cart. Settled upon it was a mystery tray covered up by one of the usual silver lids which concealed both the dish’s scent and general visibility. At least it made Garnet curious as to what had been prepared; and she wasn’t the only one as the bed dipped and Zidane curiously crawled over from his side to see. She glanced his way as he settled up beside her, his tail curling around her waist.

“Alexandria have many foods, but needed ingredients outside Alexandria,” the Qu explained and removed the lid without warning. 

Tensing, Garnet’s fingers clenched the bed sheets tight in anticipation. It only took a whiff of certain smells to have her nausea trigger, and having that occur almost every meal in recent days had her ready to run on reflex. It would be foolish to do so at this moment knowing she would fall as soon as she touched the ground, but she never said it was a rational response. Not that it mattered; Zidane’s tail was fixed around her waist and wouldn’t even allow her to move from her spot.

The smell hit her nose shortly and she bit her lip, waiting for her stomach to roll.

And when it didn’t, she exhaled and furrowed her brows, her eyes moving between Quina and their dish.

“Told you, gourmand nose knows. Garnet eat and become strong.”

“Oh…”

Balanced upon a small bed tray, she recognized a soup bowl. She’d had plenty by now, but they’d gradually become bland and nearly flavorless or bitter to avoid her nausea while also keeping her well, but this one smelled normal. It was bright in aroma and color, and dare she consider, she actually felt hungry instead of repulsed.

“Dagger…?”

“Hm?” Turning her head to Zidane, he was observing her closely. His expression was calm, but his eyes were cloudy, anxious as he waited.

“... Are you alright? Do you think you can eat?”

“I… yes,” she answered slowly. Meanwhile, Quina hadn’t waited so much, setting the tray down across her lap. Again, Garnet stared at the soup before reaffirming her words. “Yes, I think I can eat this.”

“ _ Will _ eat,” Quina insisted, nodding their head several times. “I ready more. Make other dishes Garnet can eat.”

“Thank you, Quina.”

“Yeah, thanks, Quina. At least someone seems to know what’s going on,” Zidane sighed, his tone frustrated but relieved all the same. Not that she could blame him. She too wondered what Quina knew and was confused as to why they wouldn’t say. Unless it was something they figured the two of them would want to find out first? Her brows furrowing, a thought did come to mind, but… 

… Could it be?

“You know soon too! Make sure Garnet eat!”

Snapping back to the present, Garnet didn’t say anything, but she did laugh to herself as she observed. Though some of Quina’s social cues were better, it was still hit or miss. Normally, the head chef would stick around to see if Garnet actually liked the food and depart at the Queen’s dismissal, but they just turned and walked from the room. This didn’t bother the couple of course, used to the informal antics and Quina’s one-track mindedness.

“Well, head chef’s orders,” Zidane piped up a few seconds after Quina left. “Does my dear Queen need help eating?”

His tail had unlatched itself from her waist to wag behind him. Garnet rolled her eyes at his turn-around, but did have to consider. Picking the spoon off the tray, she bit her lip upon noticing a small tremble in her fingers. Really, it was rather minute, but a small spill meant cleaning up again and she didn’t want to make the castle staff prepare either another gown or trade out the sheets over a tiny drop of soup.

“I’m sorry to take more of your time, Zidane…”

“Hey, no apologizing. You know you’re my top priority,” he cheerfully replied, taking the spoon gently from her hand. “Besides, I haven’t had the chance to tell you about the news I received from Freya the other day.”

“Good news, I trust?”

“The best news!”

She watched the spoon dip and rise as she waited for his word, but as he’d just said, his care for her was first priority. He held onto his news, stringing it like obvious bait while serving her that first spoonful, but he didn’t need to. She sipped the bright orange contents carefully and contemplatively, familiar with many of the tastes, but there was something underlying - she recognized it, but it didn’t grow around Alexandria that she was certain of. And the way it settled in her stomach was alleviating.

“So,” he started, preparing another spoon for her. “Freya said they went to check out the remains of Cleyra again. Apparently, some Burmecian and Cleyrans made their way there and turned what’s left of the trunk into a settlement. The Oracle we met in Daguerreo, Kildea, was leading them.”

“That’s wonderful news, Zidane,” Garnet said, and she was so relieved to hear that. After such devastation and how both people had been lost or scattered, knowing they were building a new home finally was great. “And? Are they alright? Are they in need of any supplies?”

“From her letter, it sounded like they were managing right now, but she’ll keep us updated,” he answered, feeding her a little more. “They’ve repurposed what remains of the roots and have reached the underground lake that was their water source before. Next I go to Burmecia, I’ll see about going by and having a look myself. Maybe down the line, we can both go by, but first things first…”

He offered another spoonful which she again sipped. When the spoon was clear, she nodded.

“I need to get my strength back. We’ll have to thank Quina again; this soup is delicious.”

“I’m glad. It’s been a while since you’ve eaten this much, or kept it down,” he said softly, a troubled smile on his face. “I was about to think you caught something serious.”

“Zidane…”

He didn’t have to pretend he hadn’t been stressed about this around her, but that was just like him. Accepting another spoonful and swallowing, she placed a hand over his before he prepared more, making him halt. She didn’t say anything, allowing the silence to linger while rubbing his thumb, her gaze trailing up to his face. He wasn’t looking at her, but at their hands, and she could better see the lines of exhaustion marring his face. She wasn’t unfamiliar with the feeling, remembering the numerous times she had to hold it together ruling Alexandria alone, but for him? Knowing that she was so close…

She squeezed his hand the best she could.

“... Do you… want to stay with me today? The Council should understand.”

“... You think they won’t mind?” he asked after slight hesitation. “I mean, I know things have been progressing well, but… they wouldn’t see it like I’m neglecting any duties, right?”

She shook her head. “We have a duty to care for each other, too. Besides, they can’t ignore how you’ve been holding the kingdom together during my bed rest. Personally, I’m concerned for my dear husband’s health trying to keep everyone’s spirits up.”

“Dagger…”

Hearing that undoubtedly made him fold. He didn’t comment anymore on the matter, but shifted closer and continued helping her eat, being quite meticulous in the process. Steadily, the bowl was emptied and after so many days, Garnet felt full and well. Zidane’s lips pressed against her temple as the spoon clattered in the bowl, and he pulled away to gather the serving tray up. He only left the bed and her side briefly to place it by the door, hurrying back to join her. 

When Steiner came in search of the absent King, Garnet raised a finger to her mouth to quiet him before he shouted, the young man in question having fallen asleep, curled at her side with his head resting on her lap.

“Please inform the Council they’re dismissed for today and that the Queen is seeing the King gets some much needed rest.”

There, in an instant, Garnet saw relief sweep over Steiner’s face and he saluted. “Yes, Your Majesty… Surely they will thank you. The King has been insistent on covering for you that many suggestions for him to rest fell to the wayside.”

“Is that so?” But she wasn’t terribly surprised. She loved him for his good heart, but he still needed to learn not to solely shoulder the burden. “I’ll have to have another word with him once he’s recuperated. Thank you, Captain.”

“Of course, Your Majesty…!”

With another salute, he excused himself from the room, taking the serving tray with him on the way out. In the quiet that soon fell, Garnet inhaled and exhaled deeply, letting her fingers comb through Zidane’s thick golden hair. He slept on, undisturbed and unaware of Steiner, and of her thoughts now capable of accumulating properly after a meal. At this point, she couldn’t be certain, but thinking about the symptoms again and how they aligned so well.

Even within his dreams, could he hear her heart racing?

She would wait another week or so - or until Aunt Hilda could come see her with Doctor Tot and perhaps Mikoto - before she considered voicing her belief to Zidane if only to be positive of the potentially good news. And if it was that, she wondered how he would react to this being their actual future. Giggling under her breath, she closed her eyes and hummed, a prayer to happiness and health in her heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ta-da! Here I am, done with my Zine work and starting a new part. 
> 
> No spoilers on what it's about: a baby. Garnet and Zidane are gonna have a baby. 
> 
> Of course, I didn't want the answer to be immediate and I know I could just fudge it and say there's a white mage spell to know or a potion that could reveal it, but why so quickly? I'm placing her around... six-seven weeks going onto eight/nine and am debating whether or not to have Zidane be told next chapter, in chapter three, or not find out until plot stuff kicks off. Any suggestions?
> 
> As for Burmecia and Cleyra, anyone surprised I brought back Forest Oracle Kildea? I thought it was great they were reading up in Daguerreo and figured time to put new knowledge to use. Besides, if Kuja's Desert Palace is anything to go by (and FF VI), having castle/cities underground in the desert isn't a terrible idea haha. Oh, and if you're wondering where the Desert Star is, that'll be revealed too in time.
> 
> Anyway, chapter two is currently in progress so suggestions soon would be very nice. Please leave a comment, kudos, and subscribe and I'll see you in the next chapter!


	2. Assurance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doctor Tot, Lady Hildagarde, and Mikoto all confirm what Garnet's been thinking. However, a word with Mikoto after has the young Queen concerned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Shinji Hashimoto, developed and published by Squaresoft, and re-released since by Square Enix. Please support the official releases.
> 
> Beta Reader(s): Ami and Jo

“Well?”

Garnet stood awkwardly in her gown with Doctor Tot, Hilda, and Mikoto, each of whom had examined her to varying extents. Doctor Tot had been the least hands-on, preferring to observe then take notes for Hilda who had gently probed Garnet’s stomach and taken her temperature. Mikoto had been more invasive and questioning, touching places around her stomach and chest, and it seemed like she intended on doing more, but stopped. With exchanged looks between the four, Hilda was the first to speak. “Congratulations, my dear, you’re pregnant.”

“Indeed. If I were to estimate, perhaps… eight… nine?” Doctor Tot drawled, stroking his mustache thoughtfully.

“Ten weeks from my observation,” Mikoto interjected, green eyes shifting from Tot to Garnet. The Genome nodded, “It would have been possible to detect your state earlier and spared both yourself and my brother. I’m… sorry I couldn’t have arrived sooner.”

“Please, don’t apologize, Mikoto,” Garnet replied, shaking her head. “You’ve taken on the responsibility to lead and protect the village. We’re friends and family, but you have a duty to the other Genome and Black Mages.”

“That may be so, but it left your own Kingdom in turmoil regarding your health,” the young blonde said with a sigh, shaking her head. “I will see that a doctor comes and teaches our medicines. They should help in regards to your pregnancy and any future ones in the other kingdoms.”

“Your doctor?” Garnet asked, tilting her head.

Mikoto nodded once. “Though the Genomes are still adapting, knowledge of our civilization, history, and assorted topics were necessary to avoid mental atrophy in Bran Bal. Given my role, Garland largely left me to my own, but the other Genome rotated through a variety of topics. Several who focused on creating the next generation studied Terran and Gaian bodies to possibly incorporate any beneficial attributes into the next Genomes. They would know how to care for you and the embryo’s development until birth.”

“Fascinating,” Doctor Tot gasped. “Would they mind if I observe? I’m more a scholar, but I’ll be able to record their teachings so they needn’t write it themselves.”

“They shouldn’t mind, but I’ll ask once I return.”

“Oh, how exciting,” Hilda said, clapping her hands together and smiling. “I remember when you were only so big, but now, look at you dear. You’re already glowing…!”

“... I do not see it. It’s too early for those physical changes,” Mikoto said matter-of-factly, her brows furrowed as she looked Garnet over.

“I was speaking figuratively. You must admit, she’s positively radiant,” Hilda continued, nodding her head. “It’s always wonderful to see you so happy, Garnet.”

“Thank you, Aunt Hilda…” Raising her hands, the young Queen rested them over her heart. “This still feels like a dream. Some days, I worry I’ll awaken tomorrow without him there, or it will be the morning of my sixteenth birthday, but I never escape…”

“When we consider everything that has occurred, it does seem quite surreal,” Doctor Tot said, stroking his mustache thoughtfully again. “Fusing planets, manufactured beings, traveling beyond memory and time… if our world didn’t have its own mysteries and magic, it might be much harder to believe.”

There was a round of murmured agreements, but no further discussion on the topic continued. Instead, Mikoto brought it back. “When do you intend on informing Zidane?”

“I… hm…”

Cupping her cheek, Garnet crossed her other arm over her chest and slightly pursed her lips. She’d only briefly thought about telling Zidane when she reached this possible conclusion, but never reached an answer. While part of her wanted to tell him now, another was saying to hold off for a little longer. So far, things appeared to be going smoothly, but thinking about her mother and thinking about her biological mother, one didn’t concern her as much as the other did.

“... My birth mother, I have no idea if her pregnancy with me was complicated or progressed ideally,” she started, pausing and thinking. She didn’t want to think about that possibly happening, but knew it could. Brahne may not have been her biological mother, but she had learned her adoptive mother had trouble carrying a few pregnancies to term before the original Garnet had been born. Sighing, Garnet shook her head, “I think I’ll wait. Until I have confidence that I shouldn’t lose this one, then I’ll tell him.”

“That sounds fair,” Hilda said, nodding. “It’s less devastating if something happens since you know now, but it would still be unfortunate news.”

Mikoto concurred as well, her tail flicking. “A few more weeks and the fetus should be more viable to reach term. I’ll have the doctor arrive soon to work in tandem with your midwife.”

“If Your Majesty doesn’t mind, I’ll remain in the castle to help then,” Doctor Tot added, lowering his hands to his side. “And if I may, I’ll document your progress.”

“Please. Mikoto wanted to keep a record, correct?”

Garnet looked at her sister-in-law who blinked, startled. “I… I did say that. At the time, however, I neglected to ask if you would be comfortable with that.”

“No, I think it’s important for the Black Mages and the Genomes,” Garnet replied. “While we still don’t know about the Black Mages, if we’re all to live in this world, it’s important to know how compatible we are. I’d rather volunteer myself than ask for another coupling in the future.”

“That will still be necessary. Black Mages have similar capabilities, but they’re too young for those natural processes currently.”

“Mmm, yes, that’s true.” But it would have to be done for the sake of the new world and mitigating any future social issues. Though they were rebuilding, Black Mages and Genomes were not ready to intermingle with the rest of the world - not that anyone knew about the Genomes entirely, but the wounds from war were still healing and as they co-existed, they would undoubtedly be lumped together by a more nefarious mind.

Shaking her head, Garnet focused back on the actual matter, and nodded to the three with her. “I think I’ll get redressed then. Thank you again for coming and helping confirm this.” She laid a hand on her gown, right above her stomach which had just the barest bump present. It was not yet so big that dressing was a problem or people might immediately notice, but some of her garments would have to be let out. Oh, but what about her corsets? Only bustiers? Oh dear, she’d have to summon the tailor to the castle, or was it too soon? No one amongst her friend circle sewed so they would have to be sworn to secrecy. Turning to her dresser, she would figure out what to wear.

As she did so, Doctor Tot excused himself from the room and Hilda left a moment after to see where Cid, Eiko, and Zidane had gone. Mikoto moved to leave herself, but Garnet raised her head, pausing in her search. “Wait, Mikoto, could you stay a moment longer?”

“Hm?”

The young woman stopped by the door and looked back over her shoulder, blinking. “I… can spare some time. Is there another problem you wish to disclose?”

“Yes and no. It’s not my problem, but I’m wondering about you.”

“... Me?”

Tilting her head, Mikoto walked back over, frowning. “Is there something out of place? An uneven cut? I tried trimming my hair this time, but--”

“No, it’s nothing like that, but I noticed something’s troubling you.” Garnet walked closer, meeting Mikoto’s eyes. “... Did something happen in the Village? Is everyone alright? Are _you_ alright?”

Their eyes held for a few silent seconds, but Mikoto had to soon bow her head. “... I’m glad you’re not my brother. Were he to perceive any issues, he wouldn’t have waited for our company to leave before addressing it. But, I estimate the pressure in presence would contribute to a confession.”

“Mikoto…? Is it that bad?”

“So far, I’ve discovered it’s only a mere disturbance.” Closing her eyes, the young blonde woman was contemplative. “I sensed an unfamiliar presence approaching the Iifa Tree. Though the tree itself is no longer a danger, I went to investigate. Whoever this individual was, I discovered they hadn’t approached the tree itself, but the serpentine statue sitting on its roots.”

“The serpentine… wait, Leviathan’s statue?”

“Possibly. Though, is that not an Eidolon? One you wield?”

“It… it is…” Garnet’s brows furrowed and she clasped her hands. “... there weren’t any airships near?”

Mikoto shook her head. “None. Even if it had been an explorer from this Continent, their approach was deliberate.”

“... Someone was seeking Leviathan’s power,” the Queen murmured, her hold tightening. It was hard _not_ to recall seeing Atomos massive jaws swallowing Lindblum and Bahamut’s dark silhouette glowing above a burning Alexandria. Summoning Leviathan several times personally and letting it wash away numerous monsters before her, she grimaced just imagining that same tidal wave crashing over a place like Conde Petie, or worse, the torrent scoring through the forest to harm the Black Mages and Genomes. None of that could happen, not when she held onto those Eidolons again, but they weren’t the only ones. And now the world was two in one - she could still summon Ark. Shivering, she wrapped her arms around herself, holding her shoulders. Mikoto stepped forward, a hand raised, but unsure. Garnet shook her head, “I’m alright… it’s alright. Well, no, but I’ll be fine… However, that’s… that’s not all, is it?”

“Garnet, we can discuss this later. We mustn’t distress you at this time…”

“No… no, I need to know. I - we’ll be fine.”

Those words did not assure the usually stoic Genome as the empty expression she tended to wear broke to reveal conflict - between concern and pensiveness. Closing her eyes again, she collected herself and sighed. “... Father Heavenguard mentioned they had a divorce. Apparently, the couple was young and the blessing of the sun never touched them. Following this ill omen, they delivered unto us a gem to protect in the Village. They’ve yet to be approached by anyone; however, if a gem granted you your Eidolons, the one they’ve delivered may house another.”

Garnet’s heart dropped. An Eidolon in Conde Petie? Had Eiko known, but why would one be there at all? Then again, the Summoners had placed Alexander’s gem amongst four locations to never be summoned again. Perhaps this was a similar case.

Reaching out, she took hold of Mikoto’s hand, feeling her flinch, but held on.

“Promise me, Mikoto,” she started, feeling wide green eyes piercing into her. “Promise me that if you feel the Village becomes threatened that you’ll reach out for help. I do not doubt your own abilities, but if someone is seeking Eidolons, I’m worried about their intention… I’m worried about you possibly fighting an Eidolon.”

“...”

Meeting her eyes again, Garnet noticed that Mikoto seemed at a loss. She worried that, despite her words, perhaps her sister-in-law had taken her concerns as an insult. The Queen knew of Zidane’s strengths - no, she didn’t even know the limits they could reach, but she had an idea. Even then, she didn’t know if Zidane could fight an Eidolon, but Mikoto was a Genome - an Angel - of her own. Maybe she could, but Garnet had never seen her fight.

“... I still find it difficult to understand how you can forgive me.”

“What…?” Garnet blinked.

“I am a Genome. I was created to destroy Gaia,” Mikoto stated. “Kuja was considered a failure; Zidane was the ideal creation, but his development on Gaia opposed Garland’s will. At any moment, I could have been ordered to see to your destruction just as Garland destroyed your people. These are facts… and yet, you worry about me.”

“Of course I worry about you. What you were created for doesn’t matter. Garland can’t control you anymore; you have the ability to find your own path in life.” Garnet shook her head. “I thought Zidane talked to you about this, but… I assume you’re still coming to terms with it. You’re my friend… and you’re my sister-in-law. I’m not saying that because we must get along, but I would like to.”

“A friend…”

She fell silent again and looked down at their joined hands. Garnet smiled, “And family… You’re going to be an Aunt.”

Mikoto’s head snapped up, her lips parted. Slowly, her eyes grew, that obvious realization striking her. “That’s… right. By definition… I think I’ll need to read more on ‘family’ again. I have still been processing this distantly.”

“Take your time. And again, please tell us if trouble comes your way.”

“I will see about that.” 

Mikoto’s words were clipped, her mind running while attempting to maintain conversation, but Garnet assumed she was possibly overwhelmed. The young woman needed her chance to retreat then back to the Village, and the Queen released her hand.

“Have a safe trip home.”

This time, Mikoto said nothing, but silently nodded. However, she froze shortly, seemingly startled, and shook her head quickly. “Thank you, Garnet. Give my regards to Zidane…”

Before Garnet could answer, Mikoto had turned on her heels and all but run out. Staring at the door as it closed, Garnet raised a hand to her mouth, resting a finger upon her lips. Had Mikoto been embarrassed? She departed so quickly, but she wouldn’t linger too long on the reaction. Turning back to her dresser, she stripped from the gown she’d changed into to be examined and redressed herself in a simple dress. Though she had already returned before the public to show she had recovered, she wasn’t sitting with the Council again yet - if anything, after her conversation with Mikoto, she could go for a quiet walk in the gardens.

Fixing her hair and straightening her crown, she slipped on her heels - oh no, she wouldn’t be able to wear these either as time went on - and headed from the room. Passing guards bowed as she walked passed and headed down the circular staircase to head towards the courtyard. Several steps from the door, she stopped when she heard footsteps approaching and turned her head enough to look back.

“Ah, Zidane. I thought you were with Uncle Cid and Eiko?”

“I was, but Lady Hilda said you stayed back to speak to Mikoto…” Speaking of, he glanced around. “I don’t see her with you. Did she already leave?”

“Yes. She’s apparently been preoccupied with something, but it’s not a secret she’s ready to divulge. She gives her regards however.”

Zidane pouted slightly, crossing his arms. “Yeesh, of course there had to be one workaholic among us.” But his tone was teasing, and when he shook his head, he was chortling. “Oh well, I’ll just have to catch her next time. Anyway, where’s my gorgeous wife off to right now?”

“Just a little exercise. I thought I would walk about the gardens,” she answered, relieved that her little lie was accepted without much question. And by the way Zidane’s tail wagged, his mind had already switched gears to something else.

“Would you like some company? I only got to see you in bed this morning.”

“And you would’ve seen me again at dinner this evening.”

“But what if I wanna see you during the day?” he started, walking around her with his tail still waving. “Nay, it shan’t be the sun falling upon thee, but a glorious light that shines from my love! And I wouldst envy the flowers able to bask in thy presence whilst I remain shadowed by this castle. Prithee, permit me as much…”

“Oh Zidane,” she giggled, amused by his dramatics. “You know I’d love to take a walk with you, but if you keep this up, it might not be only us for long.”

“Ah, you’re right.” He glanced back down the corridor, but aside from the guards, no one else was present. “They might catch up to us, or we’ll meet them when we come back. Either way, if I may provide escort, my Queen~?”

He held out his hand to her. Beaming, she wasted little time placing her own upon his palm, taking hold after he did.

“Of course. I thank you kindly, my King.”

Together they walked, Garnet allowing most of her worries to ebb.

… And yet, her concerns regarding the Outer Continent could not - _would_ not - let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it iiiis, Chapteer Two! I meant to have this posted up this morning, but I ran out of time and had to hurry on to work. Chapter Three is already in progress, but I hope these new events don't feel contrived. And yes, I knooow what the game says, but for me, it's like... I dunno, would all the survivors just stay and die off there? It's something I've been thinking about since all these rumored talks about a possible sequel and me trying to figure out what could plausibly work without feeling, idk, weird? FFIX kind of closed off on a good note that a sequel to it doesn't sound right (and will potentially mess up characters). But yeah, those are my thoughts.
> 
> For now, I'll get back to writing the next chapter. It'll probably be up next week, but I have plans this weekend that might delay it. Still, please leave a comment, kudos, and subscribe for notifications, and I'll see you in the next chapter!


	3. News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No news is the best news, but when there's news to go around, what should you start with?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Shinji Hashimoto, developed and published by Squaresoft, and re-released since by Square Enix. Please support the official releases.
> 
> Beta Reader(s): Ami and Jo

“The baby’s developing well, Queen Garnet. I’ve determined they’re larger than the average developing fetus at this stage, but not by much. However, I say we’ll have to remain vigilant in case this continues.”

“Oh dear. What could be the cause of that?”

“There are a few factors, but I mainly suspect genetics. Since you are carrying the fetus, I assumed your body’s metabolism would slow its growth rate; however, Genomes were designed to reproduce quickly and as a Summoner, your magic provides an ample source to draw extra energy from. That may result in further exhaustion down the line, but… I need to investigate this. My apologies for no clear answer, but I’ll confer with Doctor Tot and see what conclusions we reach.”

“Of course. Thank you, Anya. If I could ask though… should the baby be developing faster than anticipated, do you have an estimate when it might come?”

“Presently? I estimate the first or second month of the coming year.”

“A month earlier…”

“At least, yes.”

Dark russet eyes locked on the full-length mirror, the young Queen turned to the side and let her gaze fall upon her form reflected back upon the surface. She brought her hands to the bump that was visibly protruding, weeks after the initial confirmation, but few had really noticed so far. Quina and the chefs knew of course; next notified had been the castle midwife and then the tailor who helped maintain the secret. Beatrix hadn’t been long after, and last had been Steiner, who’d thankfully pulled her aside to speak to her privately and briefly sob his eyes out. He had initially surprised her, but given how long he’d been her sworn knight, it was obvious he  _ would _ notice.

Whenever he and Beatrix got around to starting their own family, he would be a great father.

Removing her hands, Garnet tilted her head. She wondered if Zidane knew, but hadn’t said anything. They shared a bed - he was very attentive to her too, but was he leaving it a secret for her to share, or was something on his mind? He had seemed distracted in recent days, but not so much that he missed Doctor Tot’s presence around the castle or Anya.

“Shall I help you change, Queen Garnet? Or would you prefer I ask for one of your attendants?”

Drawn from her thoughts at the questions, Garnet turned her head to meet Anya’s wide periwinkle eyes, her long blonde hair - tied into a low ponytail - swayed by her shoulder as she cocked her head, waiting for an answer.

“No, I’ll be able to redress myself. Though, could you find King Zidane? I plan on telling him about this today.”

“Yes, I can do that.”

Anya gave a small bow before departing from the room, shutting the door firmly behind her. The force had Garnet jump, but she calmed herself with a few breaths. Approaching the bed, she gathered up her dress she had taken off for her physical and slipped it on, pausing to consider how it fit over her stomach. Where normally the dress might be cinched around the waist or prepared for a corset beneath, there was a ribbon to tie the dress fit shortly beneath her bustline, allowing the skirt to billow and hide her form while maintaining an air of elegance. She requested the tailor make sure to keep any future maternity gowns similarly loose and proper for Court.

The ribbon required a second pair of hands to tie it, but Zidane would arrive shortly once Anya informed him.

Until then, she approached her dresser and picked up the letter Artemicion had delivered midway into her check-up. Given the way her name was written on the back, Eiko had written it herself. Breaking the wax falcon crest seal, she pulled out the visibly crumbled letter - like it had been hurriedly stuffed - and frowned as she proceeded to read. Her eyes grew and the page shook the further she read down. Even with the tear stains, she could make out the ‘Madain Sari’ and ‘moogles’, but she almost couldn’t make out the name.

An individual had entered Madain Sari. 

They had wanted the Memory Earring - Alexander’s shard.

Moco was dead.

The poor moogles had fled all the way to Lindblum except for Morrison, who had gone to the Black Mage Village instead to warn Mikoto. Garnet couldn’t believe there could be anyone so cruel as to harm a moogle, but there was a detail that further alarmed her: the fact that this unknown individual had a horn. She didn’t understand. Eiko had said all the Summoners had passed on, the tribe dying out in the village after the attack. However, Eiko was young, and if a few had decided to leave behind Madain Sari to survive before or after her birth, she wouldn’t have recalled. Maybe their leaving hadn’t been amicable either if her Grandfather hadn’t said anything.

Shaking her head, Garnet set the letter down and turned away, touching the pendant that rested upon her breast, sensing the faintest hum from within the jewel fragment. That beckoning melody reverberated soothingly in her mind and she sensed other gentle but forceful entities harmonizing with the song. By their nature, perhaps they had been aware, but hadn’t disclosed that secret? It wasn’t like she would’ve listened or understood anyway until a short time ago by their standards. How she wished she could summon Ramuh or Shiva for private council, but she had to be careful drawing on her magic.

Taking deep breaths, she gave a start when hands suddenly settled themselves on her shoulders and her head snapped up. Zidane stood in front of her, his cerulean eyes wide and panicked. Most of that faded when she blinked and the change puzzled her.

“Oh, thank Gods… I was knocking at the door for a while, but you never responded,” he explained with an exhale, shaking his head. “I had no idea what to think especially after Anya told me you wanted to see me. You usually don’t have people summon me…”

“Ah. My apologies… I had something on my mind and failed to hear your knock.”

“Something on your mind? Or someone?”

She saw his eyes fall to the pendant she still held in her hands and took a moment to stare at the gem itself. No different as the day she began wearing it, nothing particular about it hinted towards its origins. However, Garnet could see the dimmest glow within signaling Alexander’s presence. She watched Zidane cup her hands around the jewel and slowly raised her head to meet his eyes again. Both brows were up and he had a weak grin, “Must be both if you were talking to them. Nothing too bad I hope?”

“... Depends.”

She  _ should _ tell him about the Outer Continent and about Madain Sari, but she wasn’t sure. Mikoto didn’t want him to know, but that was to keep him from running out to the Village. Wasn’t it? Or was she attempting her brother’s same streak of handling things herself? She tended to be better about not doing that, but Garnet digressed.

Good or bad news first?

“... I received a letter from Eiko. The moogles from Madain Sari came to Lindblum.”

“Oh, they have? For a visit?”

Still looking at him, she watched his chipper expression falter while her own remained solemn.

“... What happened?”

She ignored how the edges of the pendant bit into her hand, but felt his hands assure her more.

“... Someone came to Madain Sari looking for the Memory Earring. When they didn’t find it, they attacked the moogles.”

“ _ What _ …?”

Garnet bit her lip and nodded. “Moco’s dead, and the person who did this, they had a horn.”

His eyes grew and his usually waving tail ceased its movements in the corner of her eye.

“A… horn. But… didn’t Eiko say…?”

She nodded her head vigorously. 

“I’m assuming they left soon after the Invincible’s attack, or when Eiko was too young to recall. I might be able to ask the Eidolons if they know, but before you came in, I was feeling stressed… They were calming me down.”

“Dagger…”

Looking down, she closed her eyes to take steady breaths again, the melody again ringing in her ears. She almost didn’t hear Zidane step forward, but she did feel his arms wrap around her, and he led her over to their bed. Sitting down first, he held onto her and guided her into his lap, a hand rising to stroke her hair while Alexander’s hymn played on - that was, until another song drowned it out. Or, no, the tune had faded to one present; and a rumbling from Zidane’s chest made her realize he was humming their song. It sounded different, but she’d never heard him sing it before either. There was something very comforting in his tone; one that so nearly began to lull her to sleep.

“... It actually explains a few things.”

Garnet tilted her head when she heard him speak up, unsure what he could possibly mean.

“For the last few days, I’ve been having thoughts… or more, they haven’t been my thoughts running alone through my head. I think maybe it’s Mikoto using her telepathy.”

“Oh. I was wondering why you were acting strange again,” she admitted, rather glad to have that cleared up so simply. Or perhaps not, for being telepathically linked, that could be Mikoto being preemptive about something occurring.

It was befuddling to linger on.

“Yeah, but on the topic of strange, was there more on your mind? Or did you just need to tell me about Madain Sari?”

Quietly, Garnet was ready to reconsider. The news about Madain Sari felt like so much already that she wasn’t sure if telling him about this would be appropriate. Then again, Zidane was never one to linger – it wasn’t as though the issue on the Outer Continent could be addressed as it was, but that might not stop Zidane if he thought it might be a threat to find and confront. Telling him might lead to that end with the baby coming possibly sooner and leave her alone.

Biting her lip, she lowered her head and listened; she  _ had _ to hear his heartbeat and remind herself he was here. His arm encircled further around her waist and she realized how close his fingers were in proximity to her stomach. He had to know surely, but if he didn’t and hurried to the Outer Continent… and didn’t return…

No, she didn’t want to imagine another future without him or one where she might regret not telling him. It was time to talk about this.

With a slow inhale, she exhaled, and moved a hand to take hold of the one by her waist. He didn’t move, but she felt his eyes and he allowed her to draw her hand in further, her fingers lacing between his, as she brought his palm to rest on her growing bump.

“… This. It’s fourteen weeks now.”

“So, that’s really…?”

“Mhm…” His hand pulled hers along as he felt the entire shape. She was right; he’d noticed, but what he didn’t realize was how far she might be. Humming, she nuzzled against his chest with a smile. “You’re going to be a father.”

“A father… I’m going to be a dad. You’ll be a mom— we’re gonna be parents…” His other arm wrapping over her shoulder, he cradled the back of her head and buried his face into her hair. She couldn’t believe it. It sounded like Zidane was having trouble with his words, and he was shaking. “Damn… we’re going to have a family. Garnet, just… I can’t believe it.”

“It’s true. It’s why Doctor Tot, Anya, and Carolyn are here… though, I don’t know if you’ve met the midwife.”

“I haven’t, but I’ve seen them in passing, I think. I’ll have to talk to them now… oh, but what about Anya. Do they have any idea when the baby will… you know?”

“About that,” Garnet started, bringing her other hand to rest on their joined hands. “… Anya thinks it might be earlier than anticipated. She’s currently speaking with Doctor Tot on the matter, but right now, she said Genomes are meant to reproduce quickly and the baby is currently developing using both my metabolism and magic. We need to monitor that.”

“Is that right? Geez, it’s probably different for every race. Garland really did think about everything… well, almost everything. That’s kinda creepy…” Zidane wrinkled his nose and shook his head, making Garnet laugh faintly. “But I guess that means we might get to meet them sooner. I can’t get over that; we’re gonna be  _ parents _ .”

She squeaked when he seized her and dragged her down to the bed, cuddling up to her side. It was almost like she hadn’t delivered any bad news to him at all, and it was somewhat relieving this had distracted him. Of course, she wondered what was really running through his mind. His hold felt unrelenting and she remembered this hold before – back before the wedding. Racing and worried about too many what-ifs, but she pressed her lips against his cheek.

“I’ll be fine,” she whispered. “No matter what happens, I trust Anya and Carolyn. I’m not expecting this to be painless, but we’ll get through it.”

“… If you trust them, I’ll trust you.” His tail wriggled beneath her stomach. She lowered a hand to comb through his tawny fur and her lips touched his cheek again. “I’m not going anywhere either. Not unless Mikoto finds this guy. And even if she does, I’ll go if she needs help dealing with them.”

“Zidane, I know you’ll need to go if they're found. What they're doing already threatens the Outer Continent – and it might come to endanger ours and the nations here.” Turning his head, she caught his cerulean eyes and frown. He wanted to protest, but she squeezed his hand. This decision wasn't any easier on her, but she had to be strong. “We have a duty to uphold protecting this world just like before. I’ll hold the throne and be waiting for you to come home.”

His tail rolled anxiously beneath her hand, but he released a long breath. “I know you can… and know you will. I’ll take Rusty with me if things escalate to that point.”

“Good. Take everyone you might need and come home safely…”

These days, it wouldn’t be possible for Zidane to get all their friends together, but Steiner and the Pluto Knights should be capable of protecting him. Maybe he could reach out to Amarant and Tantalus, and perhaps Eiko wouldn’t mind getting out of Lindblum, but she wished that she could go and protect them herself. Her fingers felt the silver ring fixed to Zidane’s tail and touched the garnet embedded in it. Bahamut may no longer be within it, but his heart lingered and roared, igniting beneath her fingertips. She couldn’t go, but in spirit, she would be near.

_ ‘Bahamut, watch over them…’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do I have any idea what I'm doing with Genomes? Not really, but I assume Garland crafted them to be able to adapt quickly and not have much trouble in terms of reproductive issues. What they were meant to do after all were be vessels for Terran souls and help restore the Terran people once Gaia was assimilated. Being able to take traits from other races and always ready to evolve - yeah, genome is very accurate.
> 
> NOW WHAT'S GOING ON ON THE OUTER CONTINENT, oh yeah, I know what I'm doing... mostly. And there be our rogue Summoner now, not up to very nice things. _I wonder how the next chapters will go?_ Heheh~
> 
> Anyway, I'm glad I managed to get this chapter out sooner than expected, but definitely expect a delay between this one and next. I'm doing Drawlloween and after a weekend outing, I need to catch up on a few days. But speaking about drawing, gooood I wanna draw so many things from this, but later; I must restrain myself... even if there are a lot of cute and gorgeous dresses to give Garnet and dressing Zidane up is fun... Still, this story will be coming...! And I should work on a few others in other fandoms. Anyway, please leave a comment, kudos, and subscribe and I'll see you in the next chapter!


	4. Discordant, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's mid-afternoon, and Garnet sits and waits, unable to join the party that's ventured to the Outer Continent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Shinji Hashimoto, developed and published by Squaresoft, and re-released since by Square Enix. Please support the official releases.
> 
> Beta Reader(s): Ami and Jo

It was a somber sunrise that morning. To be awakened so abruptly by Zidane before light even peeked in the horizon - who attempted to coax her back to sleep, but how could she? She already knew why he was awake, and she readied herself and watched him depart with Steiner, Amarant, Baku, and Eiko. Cid was at the helm, Hilda would remain with Garnet, and with Beatrix standing with them, they watched the airship depart.

Retiring back to their room, Garnet did not do so to rest. Again, that’d become difficult after becoming so comforted by Zidane’s presence, and while she assumed this much reliance wasn’t healthy, she felt particularly vulnerable at this time. His warmth and the way he would hold her with both arms and his tail, it made her feel safe. With his absence, she acutely remembered her inability to summon or use white magic, and many avenues which allowed her to protect herself were pitiful at best. She had to leave it to her soldiers who she could do nothing for in return. Alexandria might be at peace, but as this rogue Summoner proved, that peace could only be a mask.

“Perhaps the chef could prepare you something to calm your nerves, Your Majesty,” Beatrix suggested from her position by the door.

“Perhaps…” Garnet sighed, leaning back in her chair and ignoring the sunlight spilling into the room. It had grown to be a beautifully clear day - if only she could match its mood. Just hours ago had the King left, but it felt like longer. She hadn’t bothered to call Council, knowing she was too distracted to discuss any other pressing issues in the kingdom. “... General, is it foolish that I worry so? They’ve all faced much grander foes that a lone Summoner and their Eidolons seem incomparable, I should almost find assurance in that fact, but my chest still aches.”

“Queen Garnet, ‘tis not foolish to worry for their welfare. Speaking from experience, though I may be successful in one engagement, it does not mean I will win the next.” Garnet bit her lip and felt her fingers tighten their hold on her skirt. However, she made no comment, and waited for Beatrix to go on. “There’s more to your fears of course. This is almost a similar matter in which your mother - Queen Brahne - lost her husband. Besides the similarities, there’s also the matter of his previous absence and being unable to provide aid in your current state.”

Beatrix’s footsteps themselves were stifled against the rug as she approached, but her sabaton still faintly clinked until she came to a halt. Garnet didn’t glance back nor did she look up, her mind contemplating over her General’s words. She could not deny the continuing terrors that one day, Zidane might not be at her side, but she hadn’t the will to move past him before either. It was an honest inevitability, but how did one cope with losing a loved one of this manner? If anything, she was beginning to understand how her mother had remained distraught and mourned so long for those emotions to easily be twisted and corrupted by another.

But… her mother had her. As her fingers loosened, her thumb nudged her growing stomach.

“... I would have to find a way,” she whispered. “In order to protect them… and not give into loneliness should it happen.”

But what would fate say?

Her eyes widened when she heard the airship before she saw it landing outside her window and nearly leapt to her feet. Staring, she noted how rapidly it descended and sharply turned her head to catch Beatrix’s eye, a silent exchange in orders causing the General salute and depart swiftly from the room, giving orders to the soldiers stationed as she went. The door closing, Garnet turned her head back around to watch, a hand rising onto her stomach and rubbing; though, pretending that she was calming them instead of trying to calm herself didn’t work so much once the ladders were lowered and the crew began clambering off.

From where she stood, she could make out Steiner, Amarant, Baku, and Eiko, but she could not see Zidane or Mikoto. Feeling her heart stutter, her hands rose slowly to her pendant, and her eyes continued to hurriedly search.

Black Mages, Genomes, soldiers… a man with a horn being led towards the dungeons, but the two she wanted to see weren’t to be found.

“… A-Ah!”

Hand meeting the glass, her breath caught and she nearly hit it with her head, but that would be nothing. They were lowering cots; she couldn’t make out heads, but a dangling tail was all she needed to see to send her rushing from her room. She shouldn’t run, but she couldn’t stop, adrenaline sending her almost stumbling down the stairwell, several soldiers that remained behind both ready to catch her and try stopping her from leaving, but she was outside.

This wasn’t right. She shouldn’t be welcoming him home like this.

And Beatrix intercepted her before she got too close, but it was still close enough to see.

The Black Mage children and their Genome guardians had a varying range of injuries treated by hand and white magic. Shaken but alive, and yet, she counted fewer of them as they were escorted into the castle. Those that chanced raising their eyes up and caught her gaze could only lower them again in shame. She wanted to assure them that none of this was their fault, that everything would be alright, but those words were hard to say when her eyes came upon the first passing cot.

Zidane was unconscious, forehead and hair caked by dried blood that hadn’t properly been cleared and his chest was barely moving. From the neck down, his body was obscured by a sheet, but red spots stained the cloth and burned his condition deeply into her mind. No doubt that’s why he was carried by her quickly, and Beatrix kept Garnet from running after them.

“Your Majesty, you cannot use your magic…!”

“Please! Just one spell!”

She didn’t even realize she was fighting against her General until she lost her breath and her fingers ached from grabbing at her arms, trying to push passed. Her cheeks were wet, knees shaking as she clung to Beatrix and watched Zidane be taken away. This was – she couldn’t do anything for him, just like before…!

“Your Majesty… Garnet, I’ll oversee his recovery,” Beatrix whispered, holding the Queen steady on her feet. “Do not worry yourself over the King. He’ll live, I swear to you.”

“Please… General, I can’t ask you anymore.”

“Understood, Your Majesty. Captain Steiner! Please come escort the Queen!”

“At once!”

The clanging armor had never sounded more comforting than at that moment, but even as Steiner took her from Beatrix, the impulse to follow almost had her escape. Fortunately for them all, the Captain had her hand and his arm around her back to keep her from doing so in swift order.

“ _Dagger! It’s Mikoto…!_ ”

Garnet’s head snapped in Eiko’s direction, the younger girl jumping and waving her hands for her attention besides the next cot being lowered to the ground. She gazed up at Steiner, pleading, and the knight appeared beside himself, debating whether or not to actually take her over. However, between her and Eiko’s yelling, he proceeded to walk to the second cot. Vivi’s children were all gathered around and trembling, clinging to each other and one holding onto the edge, as physically close as they could be currently to Mikoto. Though the second Angel was conscious, her condition appeared just a step better than Zidane’s and her left eye was bound by gauze. The uncovered eye drifted to Garnet as she approached, her face retaining much of its stoicism, but that single eye only reflecting remorse.

“Garnet… Dagger? I’m never sure which one I can call you, or which I should,” she admitted slowly. It almost earned a forced laugh from Garnet – how to address her seemed like such a silly thing for Mikoto to concern herself with at this time. And yet, standing there, Garnet felt her cheeks dampen more and Mikoto’s eye grew. “… I didn’t mean to make you cry again. I only wished to take a moment and inform you of two things.”

“Mikoto, no… it’s nothing you’ve said,” Garnet assured her. “It doesn't take much to overwhelm me right now, and even seeing you both like this, how could I not weep?”

“… Yes, that would be a fair reason. Then perhaps my words can put you at ease.” The Angel looked towards the castle. “Zidane will recover. I say this not only because of his recovery from the Iifa Tree, but due to his nature. He’s far too stubborn to die from an encounter like this, but it will take a few days before he may be conscious again.”

“... Sleeping in would be something he tries to do,” Garnet sighed, but was relieved all the same. His appearance certainly had her the most concerned, but if Mikoto believed he would heal, then it had to be true. She just wasn’t the type to mince details even for the sake of reassurance.

Nodding again, Mikoto’s eye narrowed. “As for the Summoner, his name is Ingus. I doubt that means much to you, but I thought you should know. I was able to hold off his first Eidolon Diablos, but he succeeded in acquiring the jewel the dwarves gave us. It housed an Eidolon named Sophia. I don’t know how it works summoning an Eidolon, but I advise to separate that Summoner from that Eidolon if you’re to let him go.”

Garnet bowed her head, thinking about the chambers deep within the dungeon. It had been there before her own Eidolons were extracted by her mother and she honestly never wanted to consider using it for that reason again. But, if it became necessary... she looked sideways towards Eiko, noticing a few superficial injuries on the girl’s face despite her lowered head. She must have similar thoughts in that regard.

“… He’s harmed the King of a nation. Extracting that Eidolon from him may be a minimal punishment.”

It felt wrong to say that, but the fact of the matter was – kin or not – this could be attempted regicide. Even if it had been not, attacking a village or town like this was not acceptable. However, the Outer Continent itself was not Alexandrian territory; the Summoner acted as they had, wholly unaware the King of an outside nation would arrive. Garnet wouldn’t be considering any major repercussions normally had it not been for Mikoto being related.

“No matter what my feelings are on this matter, circumstance has led to this. I will have to permit him the benefit to explain his actions since this occurred on the Outer Continent and not within my nation.”

“... A wise decision,” Mikoto conceded, but then winced, closing her eyes. Garnet placed a soft hand on her sister-in-law’s arm.

“Thank you, Mikoto. They’re going to take you inside now to heal you. Try to get some rest...”

“I’ll see about that…”

Stepping back with Steiner’s assistance, two soldiers picked up Mikoto’s cot and proceeded towards the castle, but oddly enough, Vivi’s children did not follow. They seemed at similar loss as the other Genomes, but Garnet already knew why. Whether Mikoto herself was aware or not, she _was_ the closest to a mother they had and they did not know what to do with her being taken like this. Even if they were friends too, the young Black Mages seemed unsure about reaching out to them. With gentle coaxing, she somehow managed to get Steiner to release her to approach the nearest one and carefully knelt to their level. Gazing into their wide glowing yellow eyes - so frightened and on the verge of tears - she saw so much of Vivi, and so much of herself when her father had been killed.

“It’s going to be alright,” she said, doing her best to keep her voice level. She’d been crying only minutes ago, but she had to try saying something - _anything_ to reassure them. “Some of the best doctors are going to look after Mikoto. They’ll heal her and the others, and have them back in no time.”

“... W-What about our home? The Village…” the young Black Mage whimpered. “T-The forest was ruined…”

She frowned slightly. Had reduced the Village to… like Madain Sari then? Gazing still at the child, she soon shook her head.

“Your home isn’t gone. The Village might be damaged, but homes are more than buildings with rooftops or a place you’ve been born in. The people you call friends and family - the people with you that you love and the community too - they help make a place home.” Confused yellow eyes blinked and their head tilted as they tried to comprehend. Garnet decided to try a different approach to see if they understood. “When everyone’s better, the Village will be fixed and you’ll have a new house, but if that house didn’t have Mikoto, would it feel different?”

“... Y-Yeah.” 

She felt more eyes looking her way and caught the other children looking her way. However, she kept her eyes focused on the one before her, just to maintain her train of thought. “Mikoto helps make that house a home, a place where your heart feels at ease. I know you’ll be able to make a new home together with her and your siblings whether it’s back in the forest or somewhere else… as long as you’re together.”

Though still teary-eyed, the little mage was mystified at the idea and fell silent, watching Garnet as she steadily rose to stand. It was getting harder to do it on her own, and she heard Steiner’s armor shift, but she shook her head. “I’m fine. Though, are you alright now?”

Yellow eyes blinked and the young mage nodded his head before fiddling with the brim of his steepled hat. Yes, so much like him…

“Uh huh… t-thank you, Garnet…”

“You’re welcome. Come, let’s go into the castle and get you all settled in. I’m positive Anya will take you to see Mikoto once they finish tending to her.”

“Yeah! I’ll make sure…!”

Eiko strolled forward, nodding to the mage and then looked up at Garnet. “Leave them to me. Mother and I will take care of them.”

“Of course, thank you, Lady Eiko.” The smaller Summoner beamed at the title, but it disappeared in a second. Her brow furrowed and her hands were quaking at her sides - like she was trying to contain herself.

“Um… Man! I dunno what to say!” she exclaimed, jumping in her fury, both hands clenched balled into tight fists. “Just… make sure that jerk knows what he did, okay!? Not just the Black Mage Village, but…! If more Summoners were alive, why was I the only one in Madain Sari???”

“Eiko…” Garnet bit her lip as Eiko fiercely shook her head. Bowing it, she whittled her foot anxiously on the ground.

“I’m still learning how to be the best Lady so… kick his butt for me! In the most Lady-like fashion!”

“Mmm, I will. I need to.”

Emerald eyes meeting Garnet’s russet ones, the younger girl said nothing before nodding once, hard. It wasn’t all that she wanted to say - wanted to either beat or scream into the Summoner Ingus either - but she turned on her heel and proceeded to ushering Vivi’s children along, leaving Garnet with Steiner. Her hands clenched together, she closed her eyes in contemplation, opening them again to heavy footfalls as Baku, Cid, and Amarant approached.

“Yer Majesty…” Baku grunted in greeting, but saying no more. Gazing at him, something about his appearance reminded the Queen of a kettle set to boil over a fire. No matter how he showed it, Zidane was still his son. No doubt, he wanted to hear what she intended to do about their prisoner.

Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly, and turned her eyes to Steiner. “We must go and summon the Council for trial. Baku, Amarant, if you would come bear witness. Regent Cid, if you could help with the ruling.”

“Of course, Queen Garnet,” Cid answered, but Baku and Amarant said nothing. Instead, Amarant made a sound that had to be his affirmation while Baku’s eyes hardened. Yes, he would join them.

Accepting Steiner’s aid again, Garnet headed back into Alexandria Castle with her small group, hoping that she would be able to temper herself and face Summoner Ignus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SO I had this done again, but I've had some weird days at work this week - mainly going in to help with early holiday crowds and shipment unboxing on days I should have off. Oh, working retail... ... my leg are really sore right now.
> 
> Anyway, let's talk about this chapter. I'm continuing with the theme of naming some characters based on older games since FFIX is that tribute title, but it doesn't apply to everyone; it just gives me another pool to work with if I can't brain. And yes, no major deaths, but KOs and retrospectives on the situation with one very angry Eiko. I'm sure people know where this is going, but maybe not exactly so I hope you stick with me for it 'cause trials man, they're complicated to write sometimes. Oh, and question to those reading, do you wanna see the fight in a chapter? I wouldn't mind; it would mean looking into giving Mikoto her own fighting style of course haha!
> 
> Also, if you're one of my readers wondering 'where's my fluff with my couple? I'm reading for that!', it'll be back soon. I want to write them snuggling and cuddling and kissing too, but there are still other things happening around them. Sunshine and rainbows will follow! Buuut until we get there, please a comment, kudos, and subscribe to be notified of new chapter updates! For now, I'll see you all in the next one!


	5. Discordant, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Queen Garnet Til Alexandros XVII faces her past and the road blind vengeance can lead to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Shinji Hashimoto, developed and published by Squaresoft, and re-released since by Square Enix. Please support the official releases.
> 
> Beta Reader(s): Ami and Jo

The Queen sat alone at her throne with Alexandria’s Council present in the room.

Though that was not an unusual sight given the King’s preference to venture out and aid other nations in person, that wasn’t the case now as the atmosphere hung heavily on everyone present.

To her right stood General Beatrix; and to her left, Captain Steiner stood, a tremor in his hands.

The King’s throne was empty, but Amarant and Baku stood by it all the same, both stoic but the older of the two emanating palpable rage.

Fingers touching the Royal Pendant resting on her chest, Garnet kept herself calm – she had to remain calm, and remind herself that Zidane would be okay. Zidane and Mikoto would be alright with Eiko looking after them, and the Black Mage Village would be rebuilt. Exhaling a slow, steady breath, she nodded her head once before speaking.

“Bring the prisoner in.”

“At once, Your Majesty…”

Closing her eyes as the double doors opened, she didn’t want to see them yet – didn’t want to grace them with her gaze until they were before her. Was this appropriate of a Queen? Perhaps, or perhaps not, but it was taking all of her will to not fall victim to her frustrated tears. She clutched her dress tight at her knees, trying to get rid of the images of a bloodied Mikoto  _ and  _ Zidane. That wasn’t how it was - they were here, they were recovering. She got to see Zidane even set to recover in his old room. It wouldn’t be long before they were both back to themselves, and she could be back in bed with her husband having pleasant dreams.

The procession stopped – the prisoner was forced to their knees.

Garnet opened her eyes and wondered if this horned human – her fellow tribesman – could see the tempest present within her. She hated to think it as well, but something about him was familiar. Perhaps they had been acquaintances, friends, or foes before the storm and her lost memories? Maybe it was the pale hair and light eyes, but honestly, those details mattered not in this moment, and she would make that clear.

“You kneel before Her Majesty, the Queen Garnet Til Alexandros XVII, for the attempted murder of His Majesty, the King Zidane Tribal, and his sister, Lady Mikoto Tribal,” Steiner bellowed with some vocal restraint. “How do you plea?”

“... Not guilty?” was the rather confused reply which didn’t really surprise Garnet. Ingus seemed at a loss, perhaps wondering how or why his attack brought him before a queen, but in the same breath, he sounded equally unsure of how he did wrong. She said nothing and waited for him to try convincing her why any of this would be okay. He started to stand, but a soldier forced him to stay down, earning a brief glare, but he shook his head. “You know what they are, right? What they were made to do? They’re parasites, infesting planets and draining it of their souls to take over them? They’re doing it to this one!”

“And how did you come to learn of this?” Garnet asked calmly, but still with enough sternness warning him to choose his next words wisely. However, his befuddlement continued, and he looked around at them all with a furrowed brow. He must’ve expected them to react to his news and be horrified, but this was the problem with living in isolation. Telling the truth to Alexandria and its people had been something Garnet made sure to do - she had to let the kingdom and its people know what happened to their actual Princess, and know about the truth of Gaia and Terra. If the world was to grow, people needed to know and ready themselves for the changes ahead.

When the next wave of confusion finally waned, he proceeded to speak again, but slowly. “I’m from the Summoner Tribe. I’m sure you’ve only read about it in stories now, but we can communicate with the guardians of the planet - the Eidolons. They told us everything about them, and about what they did to our home from their airship. I even found out they were on our planet and they’d created these… golems called Black Mages, just to help their plans. I saw them when I was gathering food - I couldn’t leave them to their plans.”

His voice became soft, and his eyes seemed to widen his horrific realization as he looked her over. “Did you… do you  _ marry _ one to spare your kingdom!? You can’t trust them! They’ll destroy you once they take control of the planet!”

“I did nothing of the sort,” Garnet interrupted, shaking her head and silencing Ingus. “I married a man I fell in love with who, while not born on Gaia, has been raised here since his youth by one of the men standing besides his throne. He’s as Gaian as anyone else born on this planet.”

“But…! He  _ can’t _ be. They were all  _ created _ to destroy us and it’s only a matter of time before he turns…!” He struggled again to get up, but the Alexandrian Commander kept him down. “You’re damning us all! You didn’t see how they destroyed my home!”

“But I did… I was there, in the storm at sea.”

Her words had the male Summoner gaped and she nodded. “My mother, Jane, protected me; and the ship in the sky, I remember it appeared as a terrible red eye as the fires burned town Madain Sari. That little boat was thrown about by the waves and came to Alexandria. She perished, but I lived, adopted by the late King and Queen of this kingdom.”

“... Wait. Jane…? Then…” his eyes flitted as he thought and soon gasped. “... Sarah? You survived…?”

Staring silently for a few seconds, she nodded slowly, bowing her head when she saw his face light up. Now that he knew, he was expectant, but that wasn’t how things worked here. Even so, he didn’t seem to sense the rising tension, or he ignored it entirely. “That pendant… is that Alexander? Then, you have the power to--”

“No…” She cut him off and his voice died. Resting her hands upon her lap, she stared at him - took in his shock and frustration, and the anger beginning to course, but her own temper was being tested. “You still have your horn. You’re capable of communicating with your Eidolons, and yet, you somehow missed the fact Terra is gone. The two planets no longer vie for souls, but have become one. My husband - our King - saw to that, and those Genomes and Black Mages you attacked are trying to start anew.”

“... You have to be kidding, Sarah,” Ignus managed to sputter after a moment of his mouth opening and closing like a drowning fish. “They’re… they’re  _ things _ . They’re not human, they’re manufactured… monsters…”

“The Black Mages were born of Gaian soil. Mikoto herself  _ never _ attacked or harmed a Gaian before you, and that was only in self-defense. The ones responsible for the destruction of Madain Sari and threatening our lives have returned to the cycle over two years ago.” Garnet closed her eyes and sighed. “We cannot - should not - seek vengeance on those who meant us no harm of their own will. We’ll only doom ourselves to destruction.”

No one spoke in the throne room. It was so quiet she could hear the birds from the gardens distantly outside. In that silence, she reached a well enough decision.

“... As you know, five hundred years ago, Alexandria was the original home of our Summoner Tribe. When that Summoner foolishly called upon the Legendary Eidolon, they were stripped of him and the gem was divided so that would never happen again.” Speaking of the Eidolon, his aria played in her mind, making her open her eyes. “You sought Eidolons for the power to destroy and kill, and repeat our ancestors’ mistakes. You left a young Summoner child on her own with moogles in the ruins of our homeland where she assumed she was alone in this world. You  _ killed _ one of these moogles and they were of no threat to you in your quest for revenge against peaceful beings.  _ I _ will not permit Alexander or any Eidolons to be used for mass destruction or genocide again so long as I am Queen. Fortunately for you, I can make a ruling as Sarah since the King survived… and I’m going to let you live; however, we will extract your Eidolons and return Sophia to the dwarves. In time, perhaps you can learn and then you can form your pacts again.”

It was far too kind of her to spare him, but she felt like execution would be too far - too cruel. She didn’t know if she could actually make that ruling now and glanced over to her Uncle. Cid’s face expressed nothing, but he did catch her eyes and nod once, which was the assurance she needed despite the Council speaking to each other nearby. She moved a hand from her lap to her stomach, rubbing the bump to settle herself down again. It had been a stressful time, but it would be over soon.

But turning her eyes back to Ingus, she watched his expression change again. Once pale and terrified of her sentencing, the color had returned and ran red, and his bright eyes were alight in rage.

“No… no no  _ no no _ … I don’t have to listen to you. I’m  _ not _ going to be tricked by someone who’s been tricked by those  _ things _ . And to even reproduce with one...” His ramblings would’ve made her flinch if his words didn't rile her instead. She bit the inside of her lip and cradled her stomach protectively as Ingus shook his head harshly, his voice growing in volume. “You’re not Sarah…! You’re not… she’s dead.  _ She’s dead! _ Die, you fake Summoner…!”

The soldiers that held him were blasted away by a burst of magic and Ignus leapt to his feet amongst an uproar. The Council had risen and were hurried from the room by several knights while soldiers drew their weapons. Beside her, both her General and Captain had drawn their arms, and she knew Baku and Armarant readied themselves, but she remained still, unsure if her hammering heart was from fear or determination to remain. It was too late for anyone to stop him really, not from the way magic swirled in the room around them and gathered to him and his glowing horn.

He threw his hand out in the Queen’s direction.

“Diablos…!”

Shadow magic pulsed from his form and space momentarily bent, but Garnet felt warmth bloom on her chest. Glancing down, her eyes narrowed at a blinding light emanating from her pendant. She expected to hear a cacophony of sounds next, and yet, it was only silence. When both light and warmth receded, she opened her eyes properly, and saw that the room was unchanged. A few more seconds of silence, and she could hear the birds beyond the window still chirp in the gardens. Around her, everyone remained on guard, but shared similar perplexed gazes between themselves and the frozen Ignus.

“Diablos? … Diablos!” he snapped, fury intensifying. It was strange; the magic was still there, but the Eidolon refused to appear. And just as Garnet realized this, so did Ingus who quickly stole a dagger from the nearest soldier and ran towards her throne. Magic still engulfed the room, and she kept in her seat to stay out of Steiner and Beatrix’s way as they stepped forward to deflect the direct attack. Neither faltered when the doors leading into the closed chambers burst open, but she gasped when Ingus was suddenly thrown from behind.

“Zidane!?”

The monkey-tailed King didn’t look her way however as he followed the Summoner’s body where it landed roughly against the red carpet. She didn’t understand - he wasn’t supposed to even awaken for several more days, and yet, that was certainly him garbed in shorts and a patient’s gown, his aforementioned tail swaying back and forth in languid manner. “Zidane…?” she called again, but he remained hunched at his shoulders and focused on Ingus standing up. If anything had changed, his tail had frizzed and risen higher behind his back. Her eyes grew and she rose swiftly from her seat when she spotted his gown sticking to his back - the scarlet blooming signs of a reopened wound and the location directly over his old scar.

A hand caught her shoulder before she could move and made her head snap to Steiner.

“Your Majesty, he’s unconscious! It would be unwise for you to approach!”

“What!?”

If only Zidane could turn so she could see, but if he was moving without conscious thought, no wonder he ignored her and his injuries. Did Trance not activate then while he was in this state? So much she had to wonder, but she worried when she heard Ingus snarl.

“You did this! It’s your fault,  _ it’s your  _ **_fault DAMMIT!_ ** ”

He lunged at Zidane, but he dodged the poorly wielded blade and punched Ingus aside, stealing the weapon away with his other hand. His tail rose higher and his posture shifted more towards the ground; he was ready to attack but exhaling a heavy breath. Would he attack, or would he falter? The red stains were getting worse even beginning to drip onto the carpet beneath him, but no, there was a twitch to his stance - he was ready to spring forward and strike. Eyes darting around, she caught sight of the small knife on Beatrix’s hip and grabbed it, startling both her and Steiner.

Everything stilled at Garnet’s whimper and the strained silence that followed was only interrupted by the knife clattering to the ground.

The self-inflicted wound was only so much, but it stung all the same as her blood beaded forth. Be it far from the worst injury she’d ever felt, and yet, it still managed to make her tremble.

“Your Majesty, allow me to--” Beatrix started, raising a hand to obviously heal, but Garnet shook her head.

“No… please, wait.”

Cradling her wounded hand, her eyes moved from Beatrix to gaze forward again, and she watched: Zidane was limping towards them. He dropped his procured dagger in his stride, unseeing eyes somehow focused on her and her hand, and now listless tail dragging behind him.

“D-Dagger…”

Lowering herself back in her throne when he came near, he dropped to a knee before her and raised his hand. She allowed him to take hers and opened her fingers slowly so he could see her palm where she was bleeding out. Nothing terrible, but it was enough to make him settle and hold still, as though his slumbering mind was attempting to figure out what he could do. It was then that Garnet nodded to her General and allowed the healing spell to be cast, leaving her husband holding a now uninjured hand.

“It’s okay, my King… we’re okay, see?” Words that she wished she could say about him, but all she could do was guide him closer and rest his head in her lap. He shifted himself to curl by her legs, and brought an ear close to her stomach. When it seemed he would move no more, she rested one hand on his hair with the other setting itself upon his shoulders; she would keep him there until they could safely take him back to his room. There was still a matter of Ingus.

But magic was yet again thickening in the room.

The Summoner had risen once more, but shadow magic did not pulse him this time. It was holy.

Garnet’s hold tightened on Zidane as she felt him stir, and the Royal Pendant on her chest was glowing and nearly burning against her skin.

Ingus’s call to Sophia sounded distant - she remembered a flurry of white feathers filling the throne room and surrounding her.

And then nothing.

…

_ … When she woke up. _

_ She wanted… wanted to be… in his arms… _

_ Safe and warm… _

_ Someone was…  _

_ … singing their song. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... that happened. 
> 
> Don't worry, there's more with the Summoners to eventually be had, but that'll be later - like, after a few chapters of calm respite for our couple... speaking of which, next chapter is going to be focused on Zidane - or more, from his point of view? We've kind of been from Garnet's perspective this time, haven't we? Time to check on soon-to-be dad!
> 
> It's kind of weird how I keep coming back to this piece when I should work on other things... maybe because I don't intend for it to be as long? Always a possibility, but I do need to get to writing about dragons so we'll see if next week brings that story or another chapter here haha! Though, because I'm awful at focusing, if you can tell me where the name Ingus is from, maybe I'll draw or write up a request, how's that sound? First or closest to the right answer wins!
> 
> Until then, please a comment, kudos, and subscribe to be notified of new chapter updates! I'll see you all in the next one!


	6. Safe & Sound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zidane awakens, but what he remembers seems off. How long has it been?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Shinji Hashimoto, developed and published by Squaresoft, and re-released since by Square Enix. Please support the official releases.
> 
> Beta Reader(s): Ami and Jo

When Zidane woke, he knew he wasn’t in his room; at least, not the room he’d come to share with Garnet. Instead, it was the old room he was supposed to reside in until their wedding, and it was bizarre being in there again. Since the change, this one had been reverted into a guest room and a few old portraits from the grand hall had been brought in as decor. He didn’t want to know how long he’d been here with the painted eyes of the late Queen Brahne bearing down on him, but he had to. The last thing he should remember was fighting Ingus in the Black Mage Village, but for some reason, he faintly recalled being in the throne room and resting his head on Garnet’s lap.

What the hell was it about?

Slowly, he sat up and rolled his shoulders, feeling his unused muscles begin to wake up and stretch out with a slight ache. He did something alright; at least, he didn’t think it should feel like he almost pulled anything. Well, he’d know why once he found his precious wife, and glancing outside to guess the current time, it had to be around snack time. It helped keep her energy up and satisfied any cravings so maybe she wouldn’t be too angry with him.

Swinging his feet over the side of the bed, he dressed in a set of clothes someone had laid out for him - a dark tunic and pairing trousers more suited for a Gaian nobleman, but comfortable enough not to irritate him. He should wash up, but at this moment, there was too much to find out. Stepping outside, his tail closed the door behind him and he turned, ready to stride down the hall and descend the stairs to head towards the dining hall.

But he paused.

“Beatrix, Mikoto! Hey!”

Both women were standing before his and Garnet’s actual room and had been engaged in conversation until he spoke up. Rushing towards them, he was startled by Mikoto raising a hand which caused him to stop reflexively. He looked between them, one brow rising as he did so. “Ah? Good morning to you too? Did I do something again?”

“Yes and no. Yet again, you’ve proven how quite alien we are, but the method in which you did means I can’t exactly berate you for being an idiot,” his sister sighed, making him puff his cheeks indignantly, but he took her insult without response so she could keep going. Still, the silence that followed lasted for one beat longer than he’d like and the way her expression faltered had his swaying tail slow. “... A situation arose in the throne room. You, somehow unconsciously, dragged yourself out of bed after Ingus tried to use summon magic according to General Beatrix. When you moved to further assault him, Garnet stopped you. However…”

“... Ingus attempted another summon, and the Queen used summon magic in response, Your Majesty,” Beatrix picked up, bowing her head. Zidane stared, unblinking at the General, his breath still in his throat. Waiting, he hoped that either of them would say the contrary, that maybe Mikoto was playing her worst first prank, but a sinking feeling in his chest, he already knew. Beatrix herself was avoiding his eyes and Mikoto’s tail had curled around her leg.

“... She’s… she’s alright though, right? I mean, I know - no,  _ we  _ know she’s not supposed to summon because she only has so much energy to pour into magic, but…” his voice trailed, eyes darting between them again as he waited for either to speak. When neither provided an answer, he felt winded and stepped back, shaking his head. The cold that seeped into his bones was much worse than any ice spell he’d ever been struck by, but he somehow balled his fists as cold heat flooded him. “... Why? Why dammit!? How didn’t any of you stop this? Weren’t you there!?”

“... There’s… no excuse or reason I can give you, Your Majesty,” Beatrix said softly, keeping her head down. “We were supposed to protect her, but we failed to do so. If we had, she wouldn’t be in her current state.”

Part of him had wanted Beatrix to say anything else - give him that excuse and just a further reason to rage, but her reply just made him deflate. He felt numb and his mind scattered, both by the what-ifs that could’ve prevented this and the unknown to how Garnet was doing at all. From the way his General spoke, she had to at least be alive, but what did that mean? What was her current state and could she recover? Not only her, but their baby…

… Why had he spared that man?

“... What happened to him? Where’s Ingus?” he hissed from gritted teeth. “Does he know what he’s done?”

“Zidane… brother, there’s no point. You cannot take your anger out on the deceased,” Mikoto replied, shaking her head and his head snapped up, a silent wide-eyed gaze prompting her to go on. “Garnet’s aforementioned summoning resulted in his demise. There’s an issue of his body however, but we wanted to wait for Garnet to decide.”

“Unfortunately, that decision may fall unto you,” Beatrix commented, raising her gaze finally and yet, she didn’t hold her head high as she often did. The corner of Zidane’s mouth twitched and his eyes narrowed. He directed his glower towards the stone wall corridor. It wasn’t something he  _ wanted _ to make a decision on; Garnet should be here beside him and healthy, maybe upset at what happened, but making the final call.

“... If… If I have to, but… I wanna see Dagger first. Can I?”

“Not yet,” Mikoto answered, shaking her head. “Anya and Carolyn are evaluating her condition today and Quina’s assisting with blue magic and food.”

“Today? Wait, how many days has it been?” He couldn’t have been unconscious that long! But maybe he had pushed himself to the limit, but that didn’t matter.

“It will be three soon,” Beatrix sighed. Again, he felt his head swim, and he could’ve sworn everything swayed while he remained still. What was this feeling? It felt familiar, but different; and worse. Sadness and yet, that wasn’t it.

He flinched at the sudden hand on his shoulder and peered up to meet Mikoto’s eyes - eye as one was still bandaged. “Brother, let’s… go sit down for a moment. General Beatrix can retrieve us when Anya’s done.”

“I-I…” his voice cracked, but why? He wasn’t one to stutter or trip over his words, but he could barely even form one right now. Inhaling, he wasn’t to try again, but his throat closed up. He opted to nod instead and remained speechless as his sister led him away. There was but the briefest feeling he should pull away and head into the room, but his feet continued to carry him in one direction - back towards the room he’d just left moment’s before. Entering, the eyes of Queen Brahne somehow felt more intense, but he ignored it, sitting down slowly in a chair by the small table by the wall opposing the bed.

“... Zidane?”

Mikoto’s voice suddenly sounded so intrusive, but Zidane managed to raise his head after blankly staring at his lap. He didn’t know how long he’d been doing that.

Her meadow green eyes seemed open more than usual. She looked worried; and that was too weird to him. He shook his head and looked down again. “Sorry… I didn’t even ask how you’re doing, sis. Are the kids okay? And the other Genomes? We should be able to allocate some resources to rebuild the Village…”

“Don’t worry about that right now. We’ll be fine,” Mikoto said. He didn’t know if she accompanied her words with shaking her head, but he was sure she did. “You can be concerned for Garnet’s well-being without worrying about us.”

Though he felt himself on the verge of a retort, thinking about her made him choke, and it hurt even worse than before. This wasn’t like just thinking about her moving on while he tried to recover in the Village years before, but something compacted with the unknown. He didn’t know what to do. Maybe he wanted to cry? Elbows resting on his knees, he buried his face into his hands, trying to gather himself.

“... Just… remind me she’s alive. Please…”

“She’s alive, Zidane. She’s only… sleeping.”

He felt his tail curl around one of the chair legs, so tight that perhaps he’d manage to break it with the appendage alone. Mikoto’s hesitance to say ‘sleeping’ did not bring any ease.

“So… she’ll get better? Her… and the baby…”

“Zidane…”

But he shook his head. He knew what he was asking of her and that she tended to be pessimistic and grounded by facts. If she didn’t know, or if what she knew was the opposite of what someone might want to hear, she had started attempting to avoid speaking further on the subject. She disliked instilling potentially false hope; and the reality of her avoidance made him laugh dryly, the corners of his eyes stinging.

“Why did I bring that man back? Why did I spare him?”

“... For the same reasons you comforted our brother in his final moments.”

Was that truly? 

If Mikoto said it, then likely. Moving his hands, he grabbed fistfuls of hair on either side of his head and tried to ground himself. Part of that had been the reason - for Garnet and Eiko’s sake to know there were others and perhaps try to reconnect despite their actions, but that had been the other part - he’d wanted to know for himself why Ingus had attacked the Black Mage Village. And he  _ still _ didn’t know, but he had a sneaking suspicion.

The door opened and he released his hair in order to snap his head up; only for him to hang it again when he saw Steiner and Eiko there. It was taking so long and he could only imagine what Anya and Carolyn were going to tell him.

“I’m pleased to see you’ve awakened, Your Majesty,” Steiner said in what was almost his usual tone, but his volume was lacking the same bolster. He maintained his usual respectable distance while Eiko took a few steps closer, but it seemed like neither really knew how to approach either. What did he look like that held them at bay? He could only imagine he looked rather pathetic, but honestly, he didn’t care.

“Good to know you and Eiko are alright, too,” he managed without looking their way. “Now if we can say that about everyone today… or tomorrow… whenever…”

“Have confidence in the Queen,” Steiner said, his voice softer this time. “She has been doing her best to avoid acting recklessly or cause undue stress.”

“Yeah, Zidane…” Eiko chimed. “Alexander only responded to protect her and the baby. It’s likely he’s still doing that.”

“... Wait, Alexander?”

Zidane lifted his head up, one eyebrow high as he looked at Eiko. He hadn’t been told which Eidolon had been summoned only that Garnet had called upon one. The young Summoner bobbed her head, bringing her hands to her hips. “You know how Mog is my Guardian Eidolon? I think Garnet’s was Bahamut before, but since Alexander beat him, he took Bahamut’s place. Anyway, a Guardian Eidolon will protect their designated Summoner and sometimes appear without their call if the situation calls for it. Only… she’s pregnant so it must’ve felt more urgent.”

“But doesn’t he know how dangerous it would be to do that?”

“Of course! A Guardian Eidolon doesn’t act to hurt their Summoner!” Eiko snapped, tapping her foot. “But… Ingus summoning an Eidolon inside the Throne Room, it would’ve hurt everyone. Garnet knew that too.”

Zidane paused. Though he knew Garnet was happy, it wasn’t a secret that she was distraught being unable to use any magic. Despite all the good she still could do on the throne, it wouldn’t compare to taking care of people herself. But being in the throne room, about to possibly have her soldiers, friends, and family face an Eidolon, it probably reminded her of those times when she could do nothing. Dammit, when she woke up, they had a lot to talk about, and yet, he couldn’t be mad at her.

“Fascinating,” Mikoto whispered. “I hadn’t considered her current stasis might be due to an Eidolon protecting her, but that makes sense. With the lower energy expenditure, he would be able to…! Then, it’s possible her condition has been prolonged because Alexander either still senses danger or is waiting for a determining factor to deem it safe.”

“Ingus’s body is still within the castle,” Steiner stated, reminded them. “Could that be the reason?”

“It could,” she said, her voice trailing and she glanced Zidane’s way.

Zidane’s eyes narrowed. “... I’ll ask Cid if he can take the body to Lindblum. But… Eiko.”

“Huh?”

“It might be asking a lot of you right now, but do you think your Eidolons or the Moogles could locate the other Summoners?” he asked. Her eyes grew at his words and he winced the longer she said nothing. “If it’s too much, it’s fine. We can always ask--”

“What!? No, lemme do this,” Eiko burst, cutting him off. “I didn’t have the chance to give Ingus a piece of my mind so I’m gonna find the other Summoners and let them know how ticked off I am! They got a lot of explaining to do since he wanted to blab on about everything else! Like  _ hello _ !?”

“Eheh… okay, Eiko. Thanks.” It was an effort to chuckle, but it was a good sign he could at all. If she was right - if it was just Alexander protecting Garnet - then things would be better in no time, but he couldn’t see her. Just, not until he collected himself.

And speak of the devil, another knock at the door had Anya and Carolyn stepping inside.

“Your Majesty,” Anya said, bowing, “General Beatrix said we would find you here. If you would like to see Queen Garnet now…”

He shook his head, startling everyone from the looks at it, but he was quick to explain himself. “I need to pull myself together. If she somehow wakes up while I’m there looking like this, it’s only going to stress her out. And after this fiasco? I want to avoid that.”

“I concur with His Majesty,” Carolyn chirped, her feathers rising with a shudder. “In my years serving the court, I’ve never had to deal with this ‘summoning magic’ situation before. I will tell you though between the Mist and stress, there have been many Royal couples stricken by unfortunate loss. I would prefer if our Queen did not have to deal with any more.”

There was a round of nods with a few voices in agreement, but Zidane stayed silent. Carolyn meant well, but the old bird really needn’t remind him of what could or may still happen if they didn’t continue forward with more caution. Slowly, he rose to his feet and turned properly toward the group.

“Mikoto, you should go check up on the others. Take Anya and Carolyn with you, and inform them of what we discussed,” he said, earning a look and soon nod from Mikoto. He set his eyes on Steiner next. “Captain, please inform the General then see that Ingus’s body is prepared for transport.”

“Yes sir!”

“Eiko, let’s go find the Regent. You guys weren’t here long, but…”

Eiko shook her head. “It’s fine. We gotta get Ingus outta here and I have some Summoners to find! I’ll get the moogles right on it, and send a letter to Freya and maybe Amarant’s bounty hunter friend for some extra help. She knows the area around Madain Sari pretty well.”

“Great.” 

It sounded like a plan had come together. Striding towards the door, he didn’t think about how everyone parted for him or how Steiner held open the door with a salute. Reinvigorated, he proceeded down the hallway with his company following, the thoughts of what he would do later that evening on his mind, any and all obstacles be damned before him.

…

_ Seeing her there as though she merely dreamed. _

_ A Queen that slumbered much like a Princess waiting to be awakened by a kiss. _

_ He drew her into his arms instead. _

_ And sang a soft melody of memories. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While we're not entirely done with Summoner stuff, I do intend for a break and some fluff after the last few chapters. Maybe you guys are okay with continuing on course, but I do wanna write some cuddles and cute. Aside from that, this is what happens when both people in a relationship don't really know anything about themselves, they end up in unconscious fight mode to protect their loved ones or magically-induced comas to protect themselves.
> 
> Now I do apologize for the delay in this chapter. I hit a snag and then wrote something counter to the small outline I'd prepared, but was more satisfied with the changes that it continued in the new version. That, and now we've switched to holiday hours at work... oh boy. The next chapter might be a while since I have a quick Secret Santa gift to draft and wanna try writing up other stories I've been neglecting, but I'll try to get it ASAP.
> 
> Finally, Yuna21, my consistent and loyal commenter, yis, you got Ingus correct. As I explained answering back, I had wanted to use a name related to Sarah from a previous game - however, where Sarah and Jane are allusions to the first Final Fantasy, the King never had a name that I could find and Garland is... well, Garland. The next use of the name Sarah came up in Final Fantasy 3 where she has a love interest named Ingus who is one of the main characters and notably better realized in the remake. So then, Yuna21! Make a request and I'll see it's done.
> 
> Until the next update, please a comment, kudos, and subscribe to be notified of new chapters! I'll see you all in the next one!


	7. Circulation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Though the incident isn't long behind them, a moment of respite for our couple one morning in Alexandria.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Shinji Hashimoto, developed and published by Squaresoft, and re-released since by Square Enix. Please support the official releases.
> 
> Beta Reader(s): Ami and Jo

_ She could hear it… so close and yet, it sounded so far. _

_ That voice… singing with such a tone. _

_ This hold… So strong, and yet, how it trembled. _

_ Had she not been in the throne room letting him rest on her lap? _

_ “... Zi… dane?” _

_ “Dagger…!” _

  
  


…

  
  


That scare had been weeks ago, but it remained the most recent fright for them. And if that brief emptiness could occupy her dreams, the nightmare of being awake could fill Zidane’s mind so easily.

But those worries were far gone this evening.

Garnet opened her eyes to a morning that yet awakened itself, quiet as she gazed at the bare, sun-soaked skin before her eyes that expanded and fell with each inhale and exhale from the slumbering young man lying with her. Tilting her head, she looked up, taking in the softened features of his face that only tended to appear when he was in this state, and the way his blonde lashes rested, their tips ghosting near his sharpening cheeks. His lips were somewhat parted, giving him the faintest sighs with each breath, but it really, truly meant he was deep within sleep. Shifting a little closer, she had learned to move her body a little once her growing stomach met his own in order to re-settle herself against him, not yet wholly encompassed by his form, but it would only be a moment.

Because even in sleep, he seemed to know about her near, and about her wanting to be taken up in his arms. Even his tail wound around her - tight, but not too tight.

Perfect calm - what they both needed.

She made herself comfortable, but wasn’t going back into the realm of dreams. Instead, she wanted to take a moment to think and process alone.

Young they might be, but not the youngest of any historical ruling couple in Gaia’s history, and they were not so fraught with strife anymore as many before, but they bore scars of their own both physically and mentally. And they were still learning more and more about the other - of her Eidolons and his purposely manufactured instincts, both synonymous but dangerous. Frankly put, they were still quite emotionally immature in many aspects, but for what  _ had _ occurred, she doesn’t think they could’ve handled it any better.

Fortunate the two of them learned quickly then and could communicate with each other. Perhaps if they’d done that much sooner; and yet, she still thought contrary. In a perfect world, they would not discuss the inevitable - of living on without the other with only memories remaining, but they had to for their sake and others. Though, they would do their best to delay actually entertaining that happening in reality which was why he would be more careful leaving her side and she would do better to rely on others. It would help their fluctuating concerns, worries, and lingering despair about what could happen, but all they needed to do was talk more and let others in.

She let her lips brush against his collarbone, and bumped her head lightly against his chin, humming under her breath as she listened to him again. Gentle breaths in and out, and the light but firm thumping of his heart quite soothing again to hear. Still, his arms squeezed briefly and he shifted, her movements finally drawing him into a bleary, roused state.

“Mmph… Dagger? Nooo, back to sleep…” he mumbled, pressing his face into her hair and shifting so he could curl somewhat around her even from the way they lay. “You need rest…”

“I feel quite awake, thank you.”

“But sun’s not eve’ up,” he slurred, his finger dancing over her back and moving lower. “Mmm… soft.”

She squeaked, feeling a hand stray to her backside, and pursed her lips as he chuckled.

“Since you wanna be awake… Tell me, my Queen, what is it you desire this morning?” he growled, voice roughened by slumber, but also implying so much as his hand squeezed. “You know I live to satisfy~”

“Zidane…” she gasped, filling her face warm and her chest pressing closer, skin against skin. This was already an indulgence he’d given her. Garnet had never been particularly vain about her appearance, but with how apparent the physical changes were becoming, she couldn’t help but become self-conscious. It wasn’t a fact aided by the small comments from their Council or the castle staff - and they all meant well with her healthy weight gain and ‘motherly’ figure filling out - but she wasn’t seeing the same. Anya and Carolyn’s back and forth trying to solidify when the due date might be also reminded her that, where another woman might be halfway through their pregnancy, she may already have passed that benchmark. With all that in mind, she’d hesitantly requested her husband to lie with her without any barriers between the night before.

Maybe her next concern should really be how eager he had been to strip bare and meet her request. Even if it did put her at ease, maybe he wanted to sleep nude and considered it an opportunity? But he hadn’t relinquished her during the night.

And now, for what he was implying? S-Sex? That would be too much to ask!

Her face burned and she buried it into his neck again, shaking it. “I-I’m not going to ask that of you...! But… could we go on the roof and watch the sunrise?”

“Huh? The sunrise?” He sounded bewildered - not disappointed as she slightly feared - and she could hear him smile as he spoke. “Of course we can. We haven’t watched the sunrise since… gosh, since before the wedding, huh?”

She felt his tail and arms unwind, and his weight disappeared from the bed. Sneakily, she shifted over to the spot where he once lay, snuggling down into the warmth he left behind, all while her eyes focused on his bare back. Garnet could recall all those months ago where she’d been ashamed to admire him like this, but she felt much less so now - not that marriage changed the context, but she’d grown used to seeing him without clothing. She trailed the length of his tail lazily wagging as he scoured his attire, following the furry appendage up to where it connected to his back; and there’s no shame when her eyes didn’t  _ immediately _ snap there, choosing instead to stop for a moment on his buttocks. He always commented on how hers was soft, but she wondered if his was. Maybe, her thoughts whispered, but she was almost positive it would feel firmer.

Perhaps she should touch when he least expected it.

Shivering, she pulled the covers up a little more while Zidane slipped on what would’ve been last evening’s attire had she not asked them to go without. It wasn’t much - a loose tunic and slacks for the cooling evenings - but it would be enough should they cross anyone’s path outside their room. His tail slipped through the hole sewn into the back and he moved on over to her clothes.

“Hm… yeah, this should be good.”

Blinking, he had turned and was walking back towards the bed, his arm holding a light blue sleeved gown and his tail curled around a pair of slippers. After a moment’s consideration, she slowly rose to sit on the edge of the bed, her skin rising and a light shiver traveling throughout her as the blankets left her exposed. The old Zidane from before their journey would undoubtedly make a comment, but her husband smiled and helped her dress, even pulling off the top blanket from their bed to wrap around her shoulders. He winked, “Just in case. And we can even cuddle beneath it.”

His tail placed the slippers down and she eased her feet in. With a few nudges from his tail to make sure they were on, he helped her up, a wide grin set upon his face.

Their early morning venture was a leisurely pace out into the adjoining corridor only to take the first right that led towards the castle’s summoning platform. With each ascending step, Zidane remained by her side, letting her set the speed, but making sure she took her time. They wouldn’t go all the way up - especially not upon feeling the first gust of Alexandria’s brisk sunrise view. Were it not for the blanket, Garnet would already be shivering. Though, once they picked their spot before the great crystal sword, she opened the blanket briefly to let Zidane in, gasping at the chill clinging to his clothes.

“Sorry! Here, let’s get warmed up…”

He sat down first, legs crossed, and guided her to sit upon him. Shifting, he slipped the blanket from her grasp and drew it shut around them both. Her back to his chest, his chin hovered above her head as she sunk down and almost disappeared. The blanket shifted and she could distinctly hear his tail thumping against stone.

“Is that better?” he asked, his voice mingled with a faint chuckle. In response, she made an affirmative hum, bumping up against his chin which only made him laugh again. Relaxing, she took in the beautiful view - of the horizon emblazoned by the fiery glow of the rising sun, the silver and golden glows of the pale moons fading in the sky as it began to brighten. The light soon spilled over, casting its rays upon the lakes and rivers, cutting through the smoke already rising from a few chimney stacks - unseen occupants preparing themselves for another busy day. That same light would begin climbing the castle walls soon enough…

Garnet blinked and cast a glance behind her with a smile. Again the blanket shifted as she moved a hand, placing it on Zidane’s as he touched her growing stomach.

“How much longer do you think?”

“Still quite a few weeks, I’m sure,” Garnet answered, feeling a small shift. “They’ve only started becoming rambunctious enough for you to feel. Be patient.”

“I knoooow,” he sighed, putting both arms around her. “I hope they arrive while we have downtime, but until everything with the Summoners has settled…”

“Yes,” she sighed herself, and frowned. Eiko so far messaged that things had become amicable between herself and the Summoners when her, Freya, and Lani had located them, but wasn’t sure about the Black Mages and Genomes moving back to their home. Mikoto too was not ready to entertain negotiating with them weeks after Ingus’s actions and giving plenty of valid reasons, but no one missed the way her tail frizzed either before she would walk away. Garnet understood her sister-in-law’s first personal grudge against anyone, but negotiations needed to be considered - as a leader and as a reality the castle couldn’t keep housing a small village let alone the visible discomfort the mage children and Genomes had been displaying.

“... Do you think Mikoto would feel better if we accompanied her?” she questioned softly and felt Zidane stiffen behind her.

“‘We’? Dag, you know you shouldn’t leave the castle right now. I’m all for giving them a chance, but what if one of them is like Ingus? What if that happens and Alexander comes out? That’s not good for you or the baby.”

It was a very real possibility, she knew, and bless her husband being willing to see them, but there were quite a few things that needed to be considered. There needed to be mediation present for all the parties. Eiko being there was a start and a positive considering they would know her, but she wasn’t ready to be an official mediator. Cid or Hilda would be candidates to send with Eiko, but then that would further involve Lindblum. It would be better to limit contact if they could - for personal reasons and those that had the Summoners hidden in the first place.

She shook her head.

“Eiko already has to go, but I don’t think they would be so open to Uncle Cid. As well, leaving just you, Mikoto, and Eiko going would already make them nervous. As for Alexander, if you’re there, I don’t think we have to worry.”

“Dagger…”

“I think if we should worry about anyone summoning, it should be Eiko,” she cut in. “This would be the second time she sees the tribe in-person. You remember what Freya said.”

“... That she stayed pretty level-headed until she met their Chief. Yeah, I remember.” His tail was moving again, but it was hitting the stone harder. He wasn’t enjoying this conversation, but he wasn’t going to switch topics either. “Okay, how about this. Since we still need to convince Mikoto to go, let’s bring her into this and see what she says. I don’t expect her to say ‘okay’ tomorrow, but she will eventually. And while we wait, we can make plans if you do come along, but if  _ anything  _ happens that might risk your condition between now and then,  _ please _ stay. I get how it would help if you were there, but we’ve been going through your pregnancy blind and getting by on luck.”

Garnet bit her lip and tried to ignore her stinging eyes. She knew where he was coming from, but if she could do anything, she would like to be able to do it. His arm squeezed her gently and his forehead pressed against her hair.

“I know you’re upset. It’s your chance to reconnect with everything you lost, but you need to be safe for more reasons than just us,” he murmured. “You’re the rightful Queen to this Kingdom and there’s still so much ahead of this; the people need someone like you around as long as possible.”

“A Queen like me…?”

She felt him nod.

“A beautiful Queen with a beautiful heart willing to take action for her kingdom and the world. Don’t ever forget that.”

The blanket shifted at her shoulder, and the next thing she knew - besides a little cool air reaching her neck - was her hair being brushed back and his lips pressing against her temple. The stinging she had been ignoring got worse, but that previous frustrated flush was gone, replaced by a soothing warmth. She probably would’ve been fine, but then his other hand returned to her belly.

“Hear that? Your mom’s amazing. You’re gonna absolutely love her.”

“Z-Zidane…!”

“What? It’s true! … Oh, crap, you’re crying! H-Hey, was it something I said??”

Frantically, he readjusted the blanket around them and proceeded to try drying her eyes, but she was giggling all the while, halting his actions when she turned to bury her head against his chest. His arms settled upon here back, she could sense his confusion until he sighed and accepted his fate. She was missing the rest of the sunrise from her emotional overflow, but raising her head to look into his eyes, to see him manage a grin while a thumb stroked her cheek, that’s all she needed to see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next part finally~ 
> 
> I promised cute and I gave cute. I know, there's still a matter of the Summoners and Genomes/Black Mages that needs to be addressed and we'll get to it in the next chapter, but right now... hnn, cute stuff. And yes, yes, I know, all the stuff with the pregnancy is still all rather ideal for the sake of story, but the fun will come around delivery... also like, I don't see them as only having one kid. Gosh, I can't decide if they'd have a few kids or a lot; and would they have so many kids with intent or more because of my dumb headcanon stuff. Mystery~
> 
> Anyway, things to think about for later. For now, please leave a comment, kudos, and subscribe for future updates! I'll see you in the next chapter!


	8. Budding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garnet and Zidane accompany Eiko and Mikoto to meet with the Summoner Tribe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Shinji Hashimoto, developed and published by Squaresoft, and re-released since by Square Enix. Please support the official releases.
> 
> Beta Reader(s): Ami and Jo

There was a tragic irony to landing so close to Madain Sari, but so far all the same. The mountain the  _ Red Rose II _ descended near laid only east of the ruined village, beyond two forests and with another lying behind the side they faced. Seeing it herself, Garnet better understood Eiko’s anger; to have others like her nearby but never known - it would’ve been kinder to the eight-year-old if they’d been at least living on another Continent.

“Anything we should know before we depart?” the Queen asked, turning her eyes away from the cabin’s window in order to look at Eiko. The young girl didn’t need to stay with her during the flight, but she had, remaining silent for a majority of it as she seemed to be mentally preparing herself for their arrival. Of course, that made up the latter half of the flight - the first half consisted of asking Garnet if she was sure her airsickness was mild and if it was okay to touch her stomach. But now, at Garnet’s words, Eiko snapped out of reprieve and turned, placing her hands on her hips.

“Well, the Chief is a nervous idiot! I wasn’t even that close to hitting him and he flinched!” she proclaimed, but then scuffed her boots. “... But, he’s the Chief for a reason. The older Summoners… and the rest are mostly kids. I don’t know if they’d last much longer living as they are. Even if they did, I think they were planning on giving up…”

“We have some work ahead of us then...” Garnet sighed, bowing her head. The attack on Madain Sari had been but one cataclysmic event for their people, but she wouldn’t put it past them finding out some of the other occurrences - if Ingus had managed to find out about the Black Mage Village at all, that meant he must have been a scout of some caliber; and he couldn’t be the only one. She was only speculating right now, and until she saw them, she wouldn’t know how badly their people suffered while she lived comfortably. She also had to wonder if the Chief would hear them out; if they were prepared to give up as Eiko said they were, they might not even listen to the two of them.

“Dagger, there’s something else…”

Eiko’s voice cut into Garnet’s thoughts and she blinked, nodding. “Yes, what is it?”

She was concerned at the way Eiko was fiddling with her sleeve and frowning. “Some of them… they’re kinda like you…”

“Like… me?” Her brows furrowed at what that could mean. Before she could speak, there was a knock at the cabin door.

_ “We’re ready to depart, Garnet.” _

“Ah, I didn’t even feel the ship land.” Turning her head to the window, she noticed they were indeed on the ground. “Uncle Cid’s improvements are remarkable.”

“Father’s been fired up ever since he saw the  _ Invincible _ . Mother’s happy he’s not out hitting on other ladies, but he could try not to skip as many meals.”

Eiko’s mood and tone quickly rebounded at the topic change, and she even puffed her chest a little. Garnet was always pleased to hear they were getting along, but she had to wonder what the future held if Eiko picked up more of her Uncle’s obsessive work habits.

Another knock came from the door.

_ “Is everything alright? Should I get Zidane?” _

“No, everything’s alright, Mikoto. We’ll be out momentarily!”

Pushing herself up using both armrests, Garnet straightened her white-and-red cloak and dress, resting her hands folded before her stomach once done. Looking at the door for a few seconds, she exchanged a look with Eiko. “She sounds stressed to you too, yes?”

“Oh yeah. This will only end well,” Eiko replied, fixing her own re-sized and re-touched traveling dress.

“Maybe we should’ve given her a few more days to prepare…”

“I don’t think giving her more time would help,” Eiko sighed, shaking her head. “She’s like the old you and overthinks things, but I think she stirs herself up instead. She’s not so experienced with her emotions; waiting would definitely make it worse.”

“... You’re right, but we’re here for her. We’ll keep things calm.”

“Right… but, I think mostly  _ you  _ will keep everyone calm… Iiii’m still a little mad being here...”

“I’ll do my best.” Garnet gave a weak smile, sensing her stress rise slightly, but calmed. Everyone present would have their own responses once they saw the Summoners in-person, but they could get through this - she had Zidane to help her keep Eiko and Mikoto collected if anything arose. Gods, she would like nothing to happen…

Eiko went first, pulling the door open for Garnet, who thanked her softly as she stepped into the hallway. Mikoto was still presently lingering and somehow, the brown feathers lining her collar appeared flared, betraying her normally trained expression. Even if it were at rest, Garnet noticed an inward dip in her brows, not yet creasing, but growing close to a leer. Only she seemed to see Eiko pass by them both as well, skipping her way to the ramp to depart and leaving the young Queen with the troubled Angel.

“... Mikoto,” she called shortly, waiting for a response, but Mikoto continued looking off in a currently unseen distance. Garnet frowned and tried again with a little more volume. “Mikoto?”

That actually made the young woman flinch. “H-Huh? I… oh. Eiko isn’t accompanying you?”

“She’s gone on ahead.” Garnet shook her head and took a few small steps to stand properly beside her sister-in-law. “Come, we’ll walk together.” It didn’t worry her when Mikoto didn’t reply and only nodded, but it did concern her how she did suddenly look ashamed of herself - like she hadn’t been meant to be caught sulking. It made Garnet place a hand on her shoulder. “There’s nothing wrong with  _ not _ wanting to be here. It’s difficult to face those who hurt you even indirectly, but… it has to be done sometimes.”

“... I know,” Mikoto whispered, her tail dropping low. “I’ve… found myself having a similar worry to Zidane’s; that I could possibly Trance in my anger despite knowing I must try peacefully speaking to the Summoner Chief. He is not the one who attacked the Genomes and mages, and yet, I do not know more about them outside of Eiko’s letters. If he is another Ingus, it would be reasonable to eliminate another threat, but I mustn’t… not on sight.”

“Mikoto…” As reasonable as she could be on most days, it always made Garnet forget how emotionally inexperienced Mikoto was. “... You won’t. Look at me, and take a few deep breaths…” Mikoto did as instructed with some hesitance, but a few breaths had her closing her eyes. Garnet smiled, lowering her hand. “That’s it. Allow me to lead most of the discussion, and you can observe the Chief. You and Zidane tend to be more perceptive so if you notice anything wrong, we can leave. Sound fair?”

“... Yes, it does. Though, I may interject depending on how the conversation goes.”

“No, that’s perfectly fine. If you feel comfortable to speak up, please.”

Mikoto opened her eyes and Garnet could see her features had relaxed, but there was still tension in her shoulders. As well, her tail moved with a little more pop than the typical lax sway back and forth. Not the best mental state, but certainly not the worst - better than her previous aloof state Garnet had found her in upon exiting the cabin.

With an affirming nod, Mikoto took the lead as they headed towards the ramp together, Garnet taking great care with each step. There wasn’t too much new weight yet, but she would need to start taking that into consideration soon. She already couldn’t use the normal ladder to get off the airship, and the ramp’s slope had her considering her footing; and for a moment, she thought she noticed Mikoto’s tail hovering close to her hand. She didn’t need the help though; and once she was on the ground, Zidane took over. He circled and she allowed him, unbothered by his overprotective behavior; honestly, she’d been under more overbearing scrutiny when she was merely a Princess. When he was done, he extended his arm to her and she took it, her other free hand taking hold of Eiko’s while Mikoto took her place near Zidane.

“Alright… let’s do this,” Zidane said. No objections were raised.

Tension steadily grew with each step towards the mountain and Garnet could’ve sworn she felt herself being watched. She wasn’t certain where from, but no animals or monsters had been nearby the airship when they landed and she doubted they would so soon approach. The feeling wasn’t from behind either, but ahead; whoever or whatever it was, it had to be directly ahead of them. Zidane wasn’t moving to draw his dagger nor had Mikoto moved to draw her rapier so it couldn’t be a threat, but it was unsettling. 

Garnet held his arm tighter; he placed his hand over hers as they stepped into the only cavern visible. Eiko’s horn glowed in the gloom and she slipped her hand from Garnet’s hold to lead the way through the gloom. It was a few minutes before there was any other source of light - torches lining the walls set within handmade holds, some of which were cracked. Perhaps by the earthquake the Iifa Tree had caused in its death throes and had never been repaired by the denizens inside.

Speaking of, upon passing through a stone archway, Eiko let out a sudden hollar, “Hey! We’re here! Everyone remember to be nice or I’ll sock ya!”

“Wow…” Garnet gasped softly, her head turning as she took everything in. 

The large, hollowed-out cavern easily reminded her of Madain Sari itself merely by the building architecture built into the walls and those few that stood out on what could be best called a main pathway. Streetlamps and the occasional torch flickered and provided a majority of the light, but she could see a few openings that permitted sunlight and wind in. And where that light fell, there was plant life, but it was minimal. It looked like crops, but of all she could see, it couldn’t be too much bigger than the small field in Dali all together.

When the Summoners themselves began to slowly make themselves known, her breath caught in her throat.

She wasn’t surprised to see so few faces, most of which were ranging in older ages and bore expressions worn from exhaustion. The younger Summoners, though they seemed around Eiko’s age or younger, were simultaneously curious and wary, watching them from behind doorways and pillars. It shocked her that she couldn’t see anyone that she might consider around her age, but what truly made her heart sink were their horns: not a single horn among the older Summoners was without significant damage or just gone entirely, leaving a visible scar on their foreheads.

So, that’s what Eiko had meant when she said they were like her. Garnet tilted her head slightly in Zidane’s direction and caught a similarly horrified eye back.

“Thank you for coming…”

Both of them turned their eyes forward again, just in time to see the young man approach. Well, Garnet could count just one Summoner among her age now; if not, another year or two older with shoulder-length chestnut hair tied back into a low bun. Like with all the other Summoners, his ruby-hued eyes seemed a mix of both anxious and tired. Besides the children, he was the only older one to bear any colors besides shades of green and brown on his robes, and his red horn was without any damage to it. Standing before them, he began to fiddle with a bracelet housing a bright green gemstone, twisting it in a way that made Garnet notice the circular scar imprinted in his skin - likely from playing with it too often.

“I’m… Summoner Chief Arc,” he began, looking around at all of them before his eyes dropped to the ground. “... I don’t know if Eiko mentioned, but… thank you for returning Ingus’s body to us. I… well, do you mind if we move this discussion? I don’t want the kids to overhear anymore of it…”

“I don’t have any objections,” Garnet said, but looked passed Zidane. “Lady Mikoto?”

“... No. We can move elsewhere,” Mikoto said after a few seconds. She was intently staring at Arc and he seemed to be fidgeting with his bracelet more.

“Very well… Follow me.”

Garnet didn’t say anything, but even she realized how strange this seemed. There wasn’t so much hostile energy, but nervous; and looking the older Summoners way, she caught a few eyes and their whispers - excitement? It sounded like it as they all passed, following Arc down the main path further through the small mountain village. The small home they were brought to was cozy to put it politely; obviously built for just one occupant instead of several and any decorum was sparse.

“Please, have a seat…” he said, standing by a small fire pit surrounded by square cushions. “I’d offer something to drink, but… I’m sure you want to get down to… everything.” He seemed to become paler as he spoke, looking Garnet’s way and seeming to realize. “I-I do have one chair if you would rather not sit all the way on the ground…!”

“No, I can manage. Please, don’t mind me,” she replied, waving her other hand quickly. Moving to one of the cushions, it took her a moment to sit down, but she managed. Though, the moment she settled in, she realized that perhaps accepting the chair would’ve been a better idea.

“I’ll help you back up, don’t worry,” Zidane whispered as he settled in next to her.

“Thank you.” Arc’s energy was really throwing her off.

Eiko was next to sit, but Arc and Mikoto each stood on opposing sides of the fire pit, staring at the other with neither moving. Mikoto’s face was hard, but a peek at her tail revealed her fur rising. Meanwhile, Arc was turning his bracelet more and his face was bright red - embarrassment? Fear? Garnet didn’t know, but she was done with their behavior; she politely cleared her throat to draw their attention.

“A-Ah, yes, sorry…” Arc said and finally joined them at the fire pit. Nobody commented on how he should’ve waited for Mikoto to sit first, letting her take her time while allowing the Chief to go on. However, he was courteous and waited for her to sit down before speaking. And he could only prelude with a sigh. “I may as well begin with Ingus. He was… always volatile to put it politely. Even in our childhood before Madain Sari was attacked, but when that happened, it just… transformed. I tried everything to talk him out of it, but watching our people struggle to survive deafened my voice. Nothing I said or did reached him when we departed with a batch of survivors and built our new home here, and he only ever repeated the same tired phrases of ‘if’. ‘If they didn’t appear’, ‘if I could get them back’, ‘if I had the power to do the same’... 

“I prayed to my Eidolons that the day would never come, that maybe more time would finally allow him to let go of that anger, but then the Iifa Tree’s rampage two years ago. It shook our home here, killed more of us, and made everyone panic. Those hornless Summoners feared it was punishment for our survival and abandoning Madain Sari, and mutilated themselves. As for Ingus, he stepped out into the mist that covered the Continent to try seeing for himself. I… I think that was just the final straw.”

“... You wouldn’t know about the Mist, but I don’t think witnessing the Iifa Tree ravage the land was the last push,” Garnet said softly, and Arc gave her a curious look. “For countless ages, our Continent was covered by Mist - the stagnant souls of Gaia kept out of the Cycle of Souls. They could corrupt the body and mind if one was exposed too long.”

“But, people already in emotional turmoil were more susceptible to the effects,” Zidane added, shaking his head. “Ingus’s anger would’ve been amplified walking out into it.”

Arc bowed his head, shaking. “So the Mist… drove him towards his foolish revenge nonsense sooner rather than later. Selfish until the end…”

“What do you and the other Summoners intend on doing now?” Garnet asked, wondering if they would reach a point of calm, but the room was just cold. Arc shook his head; if possible, his exhaustion had compounded.

“We used to feel the planet’s pulse in Madain Sari, but ever since the attack, it’s faded. I'm not sure if it was due impart _to_ the attack, but it's still shifted when everything happened. However, we can’t leave this mountain now - not after what Ingus did. But if we don’t, I’m not sure if we’ll continue. The children here can’t summon, and the parents here have disavowed me from teaching them and refuse to teach themselves. Instead, they’ve been teaching them Elemental magic, but it’s not… the same.”

“Wait, are you not the Chief?” Mikoto interjected, her brows furrowing further.

“I am, but only because my father was in Madain Sari before he passed. I was put in the position once I came of age…” Arc groaned. “I want to say I know what I’m doing, but I can’t. I’ve been trying, but a title is only a word. We’ve been a shamble trying to hold together for this long and I’m not strong enough to lead them.”

The tension in the air was replaced with one of despair and a weighted feeling Garnet was too familiar with. She didn’t speak and chanced a look Mikoto’s way, wondering if she had anything to say. As they discussed, she was back to quiet observance, and her fur was down along her tail. 

Had something changed?

“... If you don’t mind, I need to have a private word with King Zidane,” Mikoto suddenly said, standing up.

“Me?” Zidane sat up straight, one eyebrow rising as he snapped her way. She just nodded and stepped into the adjacent room. Bewildered, he slowly looked towards Garnet, Arc, and Eiko, but then lifted his head. “... Oh. Huh… Excuse me for a moment…”

Garnet could only wonder why Mikoto had telepathically said to Zidane, but she remained seated while Zidane stood and departed from the room. Leaving her with Arc and Eiko though, she wasn’t sure what to say. It should be easy, but her early life was still such a haze - Ingus had looked familiar, and Arc moreso, but she couldn’t put her finger on why. They must’ve known each other, but in what regards, she wished she knew.

“... I’m glad to see you well, Sa- ah, Queen Garnet,” Arc murmured, and she caught his weak smile. “And your husband gives off a brilliant energy. He loves and cares for you very much, it’s beautiful.”

“Just Garnet will do, Arc." She smiled back, but then hummed. "Were you worried about Zidane being different?” Garnet tilted her head, wondering if Arc was implying something that she was overlooking.

However, Arc shook his head. “Maybe? I’ve never met anyone like him or Lady Mikoto, and only Ingus had ever seen them, but he’d long since been unreliable to listen to. Eiko’s told me a little so there were some ideas… though Lady Mikoto’s more intense than I imagined.”

“Oh, don’t mind her  _ too  _ much. It’s not like she’s the one Ingus attacked or anything,” Eiko commented, her voice dripping with sarcasm, making Arc flinch. “Still, she doesn’t seem  _ super _ angry right now so that’s a plus!”

“T-Then… do you think this went well? I’ll do whatever she wants to make amends for what Ingus did, I swear! I also have to make it up to the dwarves and moogles...” He shook his head. “I had intended on Summoners trying to move elsewhere in three years’ time, but maybe another five… Would she want us to leave the Continent?”

“Hm… I don’t know. We can only wait until she’s done speaking with Zidane,” Garnet answered, silently pleased when it felt like a calm was finally settling over the room. Not that it was all calm; Arc was a nervous young man that was certain, but she couldn’t blame him. With no guidance or moral support, leading people required fortitude and self-esteem that he didn’t have, and he would have to work on that.

She came out of her thoughts in time to hear Eiko mention ‘Slyph’, but raised her head when Zidane and Mikoto walked back in. Zidane sat himself down again, grinning at Garnet, and she had to wonder what the siblings discussed. Mikoto didn’t sit down; instead, she stood by her cushion and stared down at Arc. “... In the coming two weeks, I’ll be settling my village back home and do not want to be disturbed. Meanwhile, you will organize your people and arrange to have someone in your temporary stead. Once that time has passed, I will come… and help you seek the planet’s pulse. Wherever it is, your people will go and start anew. Does that sound reasonable?”

“W… What?” Arc shot to his feet. “B-But… that’s helping us. Why are you helping us?”

“Summoner Ingus was not wrong in the attack being carried out by one of ours that nearly resulted in your people being wiped out. So, in order to make amends for that destruction, it’s only right we help you rebuild…” Mikoto replied, crossing her arms. “However, that’s in regards to the Genomes. The mages we guard are only children and already viewed as enemies to most nations for matters beyond their control. If there’s anything you can offer as an apology to them, I’m listening.”

“I…” Arc raised a hand to his chin and pondered. It was a few seconds before his eyes widened. “... Ah, I believe I know. One moment...”

Stepping out of the room, there was the briefest shuffling before he returned shortly with a simple wooden box.

“This contains the gemstone that Diablos has returned to. I was wondering what to do with him, but if you’ll permit me, I can craft a reliquary to hold it in your village so he may service as a guardian.”

“An Eidolon…?”

“Yes. I can’t have Ingus make up for his actions at this point and we have very little else to offer at this time…” Arc bit his lip and shook his head. “In two weeks, something else may--”

“No.” Mikoto cut him off and looked away. She fell silent, but no one spoke. She seemed to be thinking, eyes glancing around, but they soon settled again on Arc. “... This is acceptable. Now then, that is an agreeable consensus… we should take our leave.”

“Huh? Mikoto?” Garnet was startled by her curt response and how quickly she left the room - so much that she tried to stand while forgetting her shifted center of gravity. Zidane caught her before she fell and Eiko sprang to her feet, dashing out after Mikoto.

“Hey, what the heck? Come back Mikoto!”

“Dagger, are you okay?” Zidane helped her stand up and looked her over, kneeling down to check around her feet and stood back up. “Did you stand up too fast? Are you feeling light-headed? Aches?”

“No… I stood too fast,” she replied, letting out a breath. Looking away from Zidane, she saw a very confused Arc still holding Diablos’s box. His face was red - why was it red this time? She looked back at Zidane. “What’s going on with Mikoto? Why did she rush out?”

“Er, it’s a Genome thing. I’ll explain on the airship…” he said, rubbing the back of his head. One arm wrapping around her waist, he nodded his head to Arc. “Sorry about that. Still, great meeting all around, we’ll keep in contact, but for now, we should catch up with Eiko and Mikoto.”

“Of course…! I’ll see her in two weeks… I think?”

“Yes, two weeks. We’ll remind her.”

“Farewell, Chief Arc. Please, take care.”

Zidane’s arm still around to steady her, they made their departure, just in time to see Mikoto and Eiko making their way back into the cavern entrance. Garnet frowned, wondering how everything went so well just to so suddenly shift. ‘A Genome thing’ he called it, but what in the world could that mean? Would it still be a ‘thing’ in two weeks? Was there any way she could help? Placing a hand over her stomach, she bit the inside of her cheek. How much longer would she be able to help?

Only time would tell...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look! Borrowing more names from FFIII!
> 
> Yeah, sorry, no mystery guessing this time. I have three prizes to giveaway for 160 followers on my one twitter account to writing up the next chapter/Yuna 21's prize which is already outlined and going to be adorable. But right, this chapter. 
> 
> Mikoto's growing, Arc is a nervous bean put into an awkward position, and Garnet begins to realize she miiight be bound to the castle sooner rather than later. Pregnancy can be great and all for those that want to go through with it, but it can be a struggle on people who want to do all the things still. Also, fun detail: for the Summoner's location, I had to boot up the game and check that mountain was there. Like, I could've sworn, but I wanted to be sure - otherwise, I would've put them elsewhere. 
> 
> Meanwhile, if you're wondering, Garnet's travel clothes are just a whole white mage attire - no orange suit beneath, but white dress robe. Everyone's clothes are honestly different except Eiko, and I only have Mikoto actually drawn. Zidane's a little harder to settle on because he'd be more comfortable in his old clothes, but he's still gotta wear something that's more 'kingly', ya feel me?
> 
> Anyway, heads up for next chapter, it's gonna be some smut. Probably not 'E' level smut, but still... this is why we M-rated things. Until that update is done, please leave a comment, kudos, and subscribe and I'll see you in the next chapter!


	9. Beauty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zidane continues to prove he's acutely aware of Garnet's emotional dips and does everything to cheer her up.
> 
> (Extended chapter as a giveaway prize to Yuna21)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Shinji Hashimoto, developed and published by Squaresoft, and re-released since by Square Enix. Please support the official releases.
> 
> Beta Reader(s): Ami and Jo

Were they going to be okay?

Zidane re-read Mikoto’s letter with a wince that evening, but could imagine Arc falling off Bobby Corwen all the same. Chocobo riding wasn’t hard, but the first ride could be rough between the movements and where to hold on. Gale didn’t like putting a saddle on Bobby Corwen either so first-time bareback riding? Even for Zidane, that would be a ‘no thank you’ and going by foot instead. Humming, he set the letter on the table and stretched before slumping in his chair. He’d write his correspondence in the morning, but at the moment, he was a little distracted.

Garnet was late coming to bed.

He wondered if she was soaking in the bathtub longer, but he crossed his arm and tilted his head, tapping his foot. His forehead slightly creased. She had met with Anya and Carolyn before dinner, and when she arrived, her mood had been low. Not that it had been high today, but there had still been a notable drop. He could’ve asked the other two, but he’d rather hear what’s on Garnet’s mind and console her directly - if there was anything he could do. Was there a complication? Had she been in pain this morning and he missed it? Fluctuating hormones again as Anya had explained to him?

“Dagger…”

He was up on his feet when the bedroom door opened, beaming when he saw his wife enter, but just as quickly frowning when he saw her face. She looked fresh from her bath, her hair was undone and in need to be brushed, lying draped over her shoulders and back. Normally, that would’ve been taken care of by an attendant near the bathing room, but instead, her wet hair dampened her gown as she stood before a gently closed door, her cheeks flushed and eyes slightly red. It only took a few long strides before he was standing before her, reaching forward to cup her face; to which, she closed her eyes and her lips quivered.

“My Queen, what’s wrong?” he asked quietly, his thumb rubbing her cheek tenderly. Tears formed at the corner of both her eyes and he proceeded to swipe them away, leaning closer to her. She bowed her head and seemed abashed, and he let his lips brushed against her forehead before speaking again. “C’mon… you can tell me. You know I’ll listen.”

“... I know, b-but… it’s all so foolish.”

“No way. If it’s something making you cry, it’s definitely something that needs to be talked about.”

He almost expected that to be enough to coax her frustrations out, but she only replied with a few sniffles. Oh geez, he somehow made it worse.

“Hm… How about I brush your hair? We can talk if you want, but let’s finish getting ready for bed,” he suggested, figuring he’d have to go about this another way. She didn’t respond, choosing instead to fiddle with the nightgown sleeve. In a moment, she seemed to nod, but there was only the slightest bob. With a faint smile, he let go of her face and moved around, placing his hands on her shoulders to walk her over to the vanity and help her take a seat. His tail wound around a drawer and pulled it open, taking out a brush while his hands drew her hair back and over the chair. The dark locks had grown so long - maybe another week would have it nearly grazing her upper calves. He wondered if she might cut it after the baby was born, but maybe she would keep it? She didn’t tell him when the whole ‘bad luck’ part about cutting it would be over.

Brush passed over to his hand once all her hair was ready, he proceeded to slowly work on the lengthy tresses, the end of his tail waving. He had to be careful and work on it in sections to make sure he didn’t create one huge knotted mess on accident. A quick glance towards the mirror, he saw Garnet’s head was still bowed - and while she wasn’t crying, her mood hadn’t yet changed. Mouth quirking, he tried to think of anything that might perk her up a little, the brush sliding through the few last strands of the first batch of hair.

“... Y’know, your hair being this long reminds me of this story Ruby told me some odd years ago. Wanna hear it?” he asked, taking a peek back up at the mirror. She still was looking down, but he caught her nod; and he supposed she thought he wasn’t looking because he heard the softest ‘yes’ from her a second later. He kept his smile, but he bit the inside of his cheek.

“So, I dunno where this had _apparently_ happened, but the way she put it, it happened in her hometown. Now, this place isn’t marked on most maps given its size, but it was generally an honest community like Dali before… everything.” Gathering up a new batch of hair, he resumed his brushing and continued on with his story. “A struggling husband found out his wife was pregnant and was doing everything he could to make sure her and the baby were healthy. It was tough - gil had been an issue for a few years for them and the farms had been struggling between monsters and weather destroying crops. Wasn’t a surprising when his wife got sick either.

“Now, while the village was doing pretty poorly, there _was_ one home owned by a master Geomancer doing well. Problem was, he wasn’t a great person - nah, he moved to the village because of the husband’s wife in this long-running desire to steal her away.” He noticed Garnet’s face pull a little at his words and he hummed. “Anyway, he had the herbs that could heal the ailing wife, but like hell he was going to hand them over. So, the husband had to resort to a little… thievery. Too bad he wasn’t a master thief like yours truly, he was caught and put on public trial.”

“Oh no. What happened…?”

Zidane’s tail curled hearing Garnet speak; he knew a good story might get her around.

“Well, he admitted to his guilt. It wasn’t something he could deny anyway, he’d been trying to heal his wife. So, in small towns and villages, the rules can be different when it comes to crimes. Where stealing around here might lead to some community service or the dungeons depending, they can be harsh like… getting a finger cut off or even execution. But before anything could be decided, the wife stepped in. She understood why he did it and knew how to make the Geomancer spare her husband…”

“... Did she… go with him?”

“Yes… and no. While she agreed to leave her husband and marry the Geomancer to save her husband’s life, it was only _after_ she gave birth that she would. So, she had her little baby girl, but… because of her previous health issues, the wife didn’t make it.”

“Then… the agreement was nulled? Did the villagers…?”

“No, no, the husband survived, but the Geomancer demanded the baby instead.”

“What--!?” Garnet turned her head and looked at him, her eyes wide and tears forming again. Her hair he’d been brushing out nearly fell from his hand, but he dropped it when he saw her almost begin to cry. “B-But…!”

“Hey, no crying now! I’m not done with the story, it gets better, I promise…!”

“...”

The look she gave him was one of uncertainty, but she slowly turned back to the mirror so he could resume. And he would - after he gathered up her hair again, and his brushing continued as he spoke. “Okay, so, the husband didn’t want to, but in a way, it would be better. He didn’t have much in terms of food for his daughter and he wanted her to live. As much as it broke his heart, the husband gave the Geomancer his daughter. And he was right; she grew into a charming and healthy young girl whenever he managed to see her because the Geomancer had this habit of practically hiding her away in his home. My dear Queen, what happens when someone’s locked away from the world?”

“... They want to go out eventually,” she answered and he grinned.

“Ding ding! Correct! Sweet little Geomancer’s ‘daughter’ wanted to go out more than those supervised ventures outside. At this point, sure, she loved her ‘father’, but how could they live in such a nice home while the village fell apart? The sweet girl began sneaking out and meeting the villagers, providing them with the goods they couldn’t get. In doing this, she learned about her parents and eventually met her actual father, but they couldn’t be a family together - not as long as the Geomancer was well and keeping her prisoner.”

“What did they do then? Did they flee the village?”

“ _Daaagger_ …” Zidane playfully teased, “Always hurrying to know the ending. Anyway, no, they didn’t run away… buuut, that sweet girl? It just so happened a troupe was passing by one day and she befriended two young men who thought it was super sketchy what was going on. So, maybe she couldn’t stay with her true father, but she didn’t stay with the Geomancer either by joining the troupe. As for the father, he eventually moved to Treno, managed to get a steady job and met a new woman he fell in love with. Happy endings all around~”

He finished braiding her hair and placed in her hair tie, stepping back with a smile to admire his work. Satisfied, he reapproached and placed his hands on her shoulders, leaning down to her sitting height to meet her eyes. “Now that you’ve heard that, what can I do to give you a happy ending? What thoughts trap my beautiful wife away from all her happiness?”

“Zidane…” She sounded embarrassed which, again, was a relieving tone to hear. Kneeling down further, he gazed up at her and placed a hand on her knee. She, in turn, looked his way and soon took hold of his proffered hand. “... It’s nothing like your tale. Just… Anya and Carolyn are positive the delivery will be midwinter. And yes, before you say that’s good news, I know it is, but that’s not what was bothering me. It… it was waking up and feeling the opposite of how everyone’s been complimenting me; that I look vibrant and glowing, and I’m doing so much. I haven’t done anything significant since we visited Arc and just today, Anya and Carolyn were telling me I should consider doing even _less_. I can’t do any less than nothing...! None of that is even mentioning how it looks as though I’ve swallowed a whole chocobo egg or how my feet and chest have been sore! If I looked as horribly as I feel, they wouldn’t say anything.”

“Dagger…” So, he had been right, she hadn’t been feeling well, but it was far more emotionally and mentally than physically. While it was true she hadn’t done much since meeting Arc, it was also true there wasn’t much to do. Every town and village in Alexandria’s territory was quiet now that it was almost the end of harvest season. Only Treno had been busy with the new taxes going towards helping refurbish housing in the slums and the city’s walls. He wasn’t traveling either himself and instead, he’d read some of Carolyn’s recommended textbooks in his downtime. There had to be other aches Garnet was feeling that she was too kind to mention - like, he knew she meant her breasts were sore and not her general chest. Headaches, back pain, things like that, and she’d been having trouble finding more comfortable positions to sleep. Outside of their bedroom, she was doing well to mask her depression, but he wouldn’t have any of that.

“I’m sorry you’re feeling that way. You know Anya and Carolyn just want you to take it easy - carrying around a precious ‘chocobo egg’ can wear anyone down.” He placed his other hand on her stomach and rubbed gentle circles. “It’s pretty easy to trip while carrying one, too; even more when you start feeling tired… If we all could, we’d help you carry it, but we can’t. We can only try lessening the burden from the outside.”

Zidane felt her squeeze his fingers.

“Also, I know you wanna take care of everything, but we gotta wait sometimes for _something_ to happen. You kinda… took care of most everything until winter.”

“But… what about Mikoto and Arc? Are they alright?”

“They’ll be fine. Arc apparently had his first chocobo riding lessons with Bobby Corwen.”

“Oh dear…”

“Yeaaah, but they’ll be fine.” He chuckled, pleased to be making a breakthrough. “Now, if anything’s wrong, it’s me. _I_ should be taking care of someone a little more, and since her feet are still aching, I haven’t been doing so well…”

“What are you talking about? It’s why I _haven’t_ said anything. Zidane, you already do so much for me.”

“But if I can do any more, I want to. It’s all my weird nonsense biology making you go through this. It’d be great if it would let me share some of your discomforts, but it doesn’t extend _that_ far.” Slipping his hand from her hold and removing the other from her stomach, he let his hands move down to her legs. Grazing her gown, he soon touched her skin near her ankle and noticed - despite her skin’s flawlessness - it was swollen closer to and at her feet. Wonder though he might at how it worked, he picked up one foot, marveled quietly at how her skin still felt so smooth, and proceeded to rubbing small circles along her sole with his thumbs. “It’s just like that evening you wanted to sleep in the buff. If that’s something that would make you happy again, I’ll do it.”

“I know you will, but I don’t want to pressure you into anything that might make you uncomfortable.”

“You? Make me uncomfortable? Nah… With you, I’d be fine with anything.”

She didn’t respond. And though he wondered what she was thinking, he focused on her foot, trying to hit all the tender spots he knew he might feel if he was on his feet too long. Until she responded on how he was doing, he wouldn’t really know how effective his massage was.

“... Um, so…”

“Hm?” he hummed, glancing up. She had both hands clasped and hovering close to her mouth as she blushed.

“... I-If… If I had… hypothetically, entertained the thought of…” Her face was reddening as she spoke, but he didn’t acknowledge it. She wanted to say something and he didn’t want to make her accidentally withdraw. However, her exhale that followed made him think she might’ve anyway. “... I wouldn’t oppose sleeping next to you… skin-to-skin again. A-And your hands could… touch…”

He met her eyes next and noted the faintest tremble in her hands. Smiling in what he hoped was reassuring enough, he rose to his feet. “We’ll take it slow and if you want more, I’ll give you more. Let’s get you in bed first…”

But if they were going in bare, his fingers toyed with and soon loosened the strings holding her nightgown at her chest. He helped her up next, aided her in lifting the gown up and off, to crumple in a pile on the floor, leaving her in nothing more than her undergarment. Of course, it took him one moment longer to realize it was only her panties, his eyes quite distracted by her chest alone. He _had_ suspected, but her breasts looked bigger and her nipples weren’t pink anymore. No, they were darker, rosy - oh, his dear wife. Adam’s apple bobbing, he was doing his damnedest to behave, but as he moved closer and knelt to remove her panties last, he felt the heat rising from her and picked up on the lavender she must’ve bathed in.

“Ah-! I can walk!”

“I know! I’m sorry!” he found himself apologizing because he’d just shot to his feet and scooped her into his arms. Damn impulses, but he hadn’t carried her like this in a while either. And she was heavier, but that wasn’t going to stop him from carrying her over to their bed and depositing her on the covers. “I just can’t keep my hands off of you.”

“You’re just saying that…”

“Dags, I’m about to make sure you get a good night’s sleep.” Drawing his sleep shirt over his head, he chucked it aside with his pants soon following. As with most nights, he didn’t have anything beneath those fussy noble things and grinned down at the wide-eyed Garnet. That grin curled a little more as he placed a knee on the edge of the bed and reached an arm across her so that he hovered above, his tail swaying in utter delight. He leaned in close to whisper in her ear, “A massage first, right? And… if you wanna have sex after, tell me. Don’t feel embarrassed if you’re in that kinda mood~”

But the way her face reddened, she certainly was. “I don’t know if asking for that is appropriate. I would’ve asked Carolyn, but I can never find the words…”

“Sometimes, we need to say ‘screw the rules’ and indulge a little. That’s just part of living…” His nose touched and nuzzled, making her giggle under her breath. “So again, one step at a time. Lay on your side and let me take it from there…”

“Mmm… I can do one step at a time…”

Nodding, he drew his arm back and allowed her to do whatever she needed to do to be comfortable. He watched her shift onto her side, his eyes momentarily distracted at the way her hair spilled over her bare back, but he noticed how she took an extra pillow and placed it against her bump. She continued to shift for a few more minutes, but with a peek over her shoulder, it was a silent go ahead. Tail curling behind him, Zidane settled himself in behind her, one hand running over her over arm and shoulder then moving over her shoulder blades and in, near the center of her back. He kept the pressure light and listened to her, gauging her reactions to know if he should keep going. From the way she shivered and sigh, he’d say he was safe to keep going.

Starting at her neck and shoulders with both hands, he drew in circles moving counter to each other and drawing lines up and down, feeling how tense her muscles were and worked to loosen them thoroughly. She exhaled, but didn’t sigh – content in the feeling, but it wasn’t the place bothering her. Brow twitching, he moved beneath her shoulder and heard her breath hitch briefly; one spot found then. Circles, lines, a little more pressure pushing into her muscles drew a moan from her lips, and his tail waved – he was on the right track, rolling from fingers to his knuckles to gently knead a bit deeper. The second he heard any discomfort, he drew back to fingers, keeping his work to the pads alone to finish up before moving further down.

“A-Ah…!”

His fur and hair rose at that reaction, tail whipping while his pupils thinned. Blood wanted to travel elsewhere, but he swallowed thickly, forcing trembling hands to press into her back again. It wasn’t until he was really working into her lower back – applying extra pressure with his knuckles here - and unwinding knotting muscles that she repeated her rather breathy moan, making him still. Beneath him, he could feel a shiver and working another roll, he realized her breathing was slightly faster. She made less pained sounds as he kept going unlike minutes before and others that made concentrating difficult. He could only continue until the blood flow elsewhere was too much and he panted, pulling his hands back.

“Better…?” was all he could ask without his voice betraying too much. Garnet didn’t say anything, but her shoulders were rising and falling with each breath, her ankles crossing together. Whatever she was thinking, he couldn’t be sure – he was trying to calm down. However, a stirring at his side made him whip his head back to his wife.

She had shifted, turning slowly to her back and onto her side facing him, revealing both flushed face and heaving chest, her large brown eyes gazing openly at him. There was the weakest whimper escaping her lips and a hand released the pillow to reach for him; and of course, he reached back, taking hold and squeezing.

The rest of him moved closer.

“… What does my Queen so desire?” he whispered, centimeters away from her face, eyes darting to take how red spread across her cheeks and parted lips quivered. Subconsciously, his tail trailed over her outer thigh, traced her rounded hip, and then it drifted in towards her core, his fur ghosting over moistened mounds. Somehow, that didn’t make her speak; however, her silence did not stop his hands – slipping from her grasp, they touched above her stomach and moved up, carefully cupping her breasts, at which, her lips pressed together in a thin line. The same motions on her upper back were repeated, but he could see her reactions this time, noticed the way she didn’t respond the same to his fingers massaging spread, but together, and their touch having to be lighter.

Though, when his index finger just grazed her nipple, the sultry gasp that slipped forth from her mouth lured him in. He swallowed the syrupy melody, sealing her silence with his own lips, his fingers maintaining their work, soft circles manipulating supple and unknowingly sensitive flesh. Part of him expected her to stop him, but another was already hooked onto her arousal, the heat, and the mind-numbing scent that was just _her_ draping over him.

“ _Dagger_ ,” he breathed, pulling away from her for a beat only to indulge himself again.

And Garnet didn’t push him away.

That pillow was well between their bodies, her lips melding with his only to part and allow their tongues to meet. His hands no longer just massaged with the distance between them nearing none, but scooped and squeezed, again testing the limits of her sensitivity and also having her nipples rub against him, leaving her mewling. Or was that due to his tail? Slipping between her legs, the limb itself stroking and the fur further teasing as it slid back and forth. Her hands were on his hips and her shaking had worsened – his tail felt slick and his head was spinning.

The sudden shudder against him and the breathless cry she released had him wrapping his arms around her and drawing his tail back slowly, nearly trapped by her thighs clamped closed and jittering hips. Zidane didn’t feel like he did all that much, and yet, here was Garnet orgasming in his hold, a shivering mess of who was once his wound up and uncertain expectant lady.

… and frankly, he wasn’t done.

He wanted to show her just a little more to know what he would do for her; or perhaps he’d been in dire need to lavish her with what attention he didn’t uphold on their honeymoon. He met her eyes just barely managing to peek open at him, his tail swaying before their faces. Even in their dimly lit chamber, his fur glinted from her essence coating it; and holding eye contact, he opened his mouth and his sharpened fangs glinted before he latched to a small portion, letting the fluids that coated him meet his tongue.

A tingle up his spine, his eyes thinned, and he coyly smirked as he released his tail.

Though he wanted that taste again, he was not going to go down without sampling everywhere else, starting with one more brief nip at her lips. Therein followed her throat, her collar, each one of her breasts, and a gentle trail over kisses to line over her stomach as he dipped down, easing one leg to part so his head would rest between her thighs and the rest of his body settled near the foot of their bed. Silently, he had to laugh to himself. She’d been fresh from her bath not so long ago, but her precious womanhood was now quite the flushed mess like the rest of her and he could no longer wait to partake.

His tongue slid between her folds, shallowly dipping into her hot entrance, a growl almost escaping him at the pressure, and withdrawing in order to lick up her cherry flesh to toy with her engorged nub last. Around his head, her legs pressed, but a hand kept him from outright being trapped between (not that it would be terrible). The second came between to part her folds for his second pass, tongue lingering a little longer at both nub and sinking further inside before curling out like a drinking beast. He might as well be one; he couldn’t help but bury his face in to trap her clit between his lips to tease or slip a finger inside.

Those moans and near screams were urging him to go on. He kept wriggling his tongue and lapping up all she had to offer as her hips ground against his face and rocked on his thrusting finger, the bucking becoming gradually more erratic. When her moans became muffled, he nearly stopped to see why, but felt her hand tangle in his hair and hold, keeping him where he was - that only fed his imagination, of her biting a pillow or using her other hand (maybe even fingers) to lessen her sounds just to a point that he could hear. That was fine; this intimate song she sang was not one he wanted to share with anyone.

Slipping in a second finger, he pushed in knuckles deep, curling his fingertips as his tongue pressed once more and that was it. Even with his hand, it was _her_ hand that helped trap him there, but his mouth was receptive to her orgasmic spoils, the one hand still thrusting with a gradually decreasing pace to draw all of her out. Each little tremor and jolt he was quite heartened to feel, and his tongue proceeded to flatly clean her up when the strongest shakes subsided. Easing himself out from her legs, he sat up and proceeded to roughly clean himself up, eyes glancing back at Garnet.

Her body was glowing in all the right places between blush and sweat, and her lips were parted slightly as she panted. So close to being closed, he just managed to make out her eyes looking his way; he stopped to send a soft smile her way.

“How’re you feeling?”

“... Light. If you know what I mean…” She sighed contentedly and nuzzled her cheek against a pillow. The color grew on her face again. “You know… you didn’t have to do all that…”

“I know, buuut maybe I’d been wanting to,” he purred, moving to lay on his side next to her, one elbow propped so his hand could support his head. When she didn’t comment, but gave him a questioning look, he turned his head and scratched his cheek. “It’s… I dunno. Maybe I’m weirdly possessive? Believe me, always seeing you makes me happy and I can hardly pull my eyes away, but now, I’m seeing your body change and it’s like ‘I’m married to this gorgeous woman and we’re having a baby’, and then I wanna just… I can’t find the words to say it all so I wanna show you how much I love you. But then I don’t know anymore about this pregnancy than you so I try keeping it limited. Like, just doing everything tonight, I dunno how much further we could push things, but this was still worth it.”

“Hm… That doesn’t sound too strange. I mean, I can’t deny having evenings where I’ve wanted us to have intercourse, but I haven’t been sure if that’s a normal feeling, if it was safe… or if you would want to.” She bit her lower lip, and he watched her eyes briefly flicker down and then back up. “... And I want to know so you’re not constantly left in this state.”

“Eh, don’t worry about that. I have hands that work for _that_ ,” he replied, chuckling for a moment before again smiling her way. “It might be embarrassing, but… try asking Carolyn. I know you were too nervous before, but it’s something worth knowing so you don’t have to tip-toe around the subject with me or yourself.”

“Mmm… I’ll try asking the next time I see her. But, as long as she’s not around anyone else.”

“Hehe, that works.”

Leaning in to kiss her forehead, his lips barely grazed her before he paused and pulled back. “Er, speaking about taking care of things, I need to go take another bath… and deal with _that._ Think you can get comfortable without me?”

“I might… Help me with the blankets?”

“You know I will…”

Slipping off the bed, Zidane felt both his tail and toes curl as Garnet rolled herself over onto all fours, nearly forgetting to help her pull down the bedsheets when she had the top layer already drawn down by a few centimeters. He scrambled, and began drawing them down for her, letting her crawl over the bundling blankets and lifting them up as she settled back in. Unrolling them, he drew her sheets up to her shoulder with the comforter being the last pulled up. He watched her grab the previous pillow from before and tuck it in to place it next to her belly.

“Warm enough? Need another pillow?” he asked, keeping his hand on her shoulder. Garnet raised her eyes and shook her head, a gentle smile spreading over her face.

“No, I have enough. Hurry back though. I miss having you beside me.”

“You don’t have to worry about that too long.”

His hand slipped away, he stepped back to pick up his pants and slip them back on, taking his time just so he could peer behind him and catch Garnet ducking her head beneath the blankets. A brief chortle, he turned his eyes elsewhere and finished partially dressing himself, his tail swaying once slipped through the hole. Turning around to the bed, he saw her head back above the covers and smirked again. She continued to smile.

“I’m waiting.”

“Don’t force yourself to stay up. I’ll be right back…”

He kept glancing towards her as he walked towards the door, even taking his time to close it. And when the door met the frame with a soft click, he was off in a shot, hurrying to the bathing room and almost missing the yell from a startled soldier. Later, he might apologize for the partial exposure, but he refused to keep Garnet waiting - and he refused to delay another wonderful evening getting to hold her either.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I fucking love writing Zidane as a grade-A romantic sap. Yeah, he's not getting up to many of his old hi-jinks, buuut even a King probably shouldn't run almost naked through his castle.
> 
> Now, as mentioned at the top, I probably would've kept this chapter a little more condensed, BUT Yuna21 wanted some sweet sweet lovin' as a prize for playing along with my little guessing game a few chapters back. Otherwise, the massages likely would've been the end, BUT NOPE - I must now move this to E rating because that oral was rather Explicit... whoops... but at the same time, _yeeeees_.
> 
> Okay, for the next chapters, we're going to move towards wrapping this up aka the baby saying the delivery time is now. Though, I do wanna have something fun and cute winter-y before that happens... and maybe Zidane having another moment with his sister. WE SHALL SEE! Until then, please leave a comment, kudos, and subscribe and I'll see you in the next chapter!


	10. All the Warm Lives, Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Though the castle would usually host a larger gathering, the time is near. At least it's a reunion of new and old friends and allies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Shinji Hashimoto, developed and published by Squaresoft, and re-released since by Square Enix. Please support the official releases.
> 
> Beta Reader(s): Ami and Jo

Eyes closed, she could hear it from the ferry dock: the voices. Many voices, a wonderful cacophony of conversations filled with cheer and laughter mingled with giddy music and smells of festive foods. Oh, she wished she could be there or open up the castle to see her citizens, but she couldn’t - not right now. Zidane had gone out a week ago to be among their people and update them; and he had reported their responses as supportive. This was the first heir to Alexandria due soon after all in years; their health was important and hosting a large party would risk undo stress. And there was no way a party would be held in Alexandria Castle if Garnet could not be a good host to her guests. She’d feel terrible leaving everything to Zidane, too, even if the Council would help. It’d be too strange for the Queen to be uninvolved.

Opening her eyes, she gazed upon the frozen waterway, the ice thin enough that she could still see the water moving beneath. Exhaling, her warm breath appeared momentarily before her face, but then faded, leaving her to look again ahead to her town across the way with snowflakes intermittently crossing her sight.

It was soon - she was almost positive. And wouldn’t this be a beautiful sight to behold once they were born.

Laying a hand on her stomach, she felt a presence by her side and hummed. Another hand soon rested atop hers, fingers intertwining after seconds passed just to remain there - close and holding on.

“Ready to go back inside?”

Dark eyes rising to meet his brighter ones, Garnet nodded once to Zidane.

“Yes. I didn’t hold everyone up, did I?”

“No, they’re catching up with each other. It’s been awhile since we’ve all been together.”

“Mhm…”

He helped her to her feet and gave her a moment to steady her footing. With these weather conditions, it’d be all too easy to fall - not that Zidane would actually let that happen. Still, by this point, Garnet was holding onto his arm with both hands as they headed back towards the castle, in one part to be close, but in another, for the extra assuredness it provided. His tail wrapped itself around her and they took their time entering the castle’s foyer, heading upstairs, and into the dining hall connected to the kitchens. They were still one flight away, but already Garnet could hear their rambunctious company.

No one was seated at the table when they entered, but that was fine - it meant they were enjoying themselves. Though Steiner and Beatrix were still on duty, they were present in the hall, exchanging words with Freya and Fratley, both of whom were in better spirits. The final touches on Burmecia’s reconstruction were almost completed finally, the major complications coming from the slow process of needing sections to dry before construction could be done. Of what had been done, more Burmecians scattered across the Continent had been able to return including Kal, Wei, and their kits, aiding in the increasing restoration and improvements. The one Prince Puck - now properly King Puck - had been looking into methods in which they could utilize the rain for power and was in communication with Cid frequently, if not, running off somewhere else to figure it out himself. Fratley always seemed to locate him though and bring him back.

Speaking of King Puck, Garnet caught him and Eiko darting by, but her attention stopped upon pale green and aqua robes adorning the High Priestess of Cleyra, Kildea. It had been too long, but Garnet was happy to see her well with maybe a few flecks of white among her gray fur. In their brief greetings earlier, Kildea had informed her of thriving crops and steady growth. Though it would never be the grand treehouse again, living beneath the ground had proven fortuitous with few creatures giving them much issues in their new locations. Currently, High Priestess Kildea was speaking to Cid, and by the way her Uncle was engaged, he was leading the conversation.

“ _ EH? _ ”

Garnet snapped her head, and she saw Zidane do similar, towards five gathered closer to the far wall. Amarant stood with his arms crossed as usual, but Lani and Vivi’s eldest Viveca were covering their ears. From where they stood, Garnet could not see Mikoto’s face, but her tail had gone still and her fur was standing on end. Last, but not least, Arc stood, covering a bright red face with both hands, all while Eiko and Puck laughed at whatever they had done before taking off again. Arc had gotten better, but a startling development Mikoto, Garnet, and Zidane had come to learn was that he tended to yell or make an assortment of noises when flustered or startled.

Whoever allowed Eiko to learn this made a mistake, but perhaps she would help him overcome it. At least, everyone’s ears could hope for that day.

“Garnet, dear!”

Turning at her name, Garnet beamed as Hilda approached, “Hello, Aunt Hilda. My apologies for stepping away.”

“Don’t apologize. We understand. I trust you were warm enough? And there were no issues coming up the stairs?”

“No, I was warm. Well, I  _ am _ warm,” she answered, giggling. “And the stairs were fine. I took my time, and Zidane was with me.”

“Yeah, don’t worry, Hilda. We’ve gotten better with one step at a time,” Zidane said confidently, his chest slightly puffed. “But really, however fast we go, I let Dagger set the pace she knows best for her.”

“Good boy. And Cid thought he had to worry…” Hilda sighed, ignoring her husband sneezing a distance behind. Meanwhile, Garnet could hear Zidane’s tail swishing behind them - oh dear, he was indignant at the comment. It would probably take him a second to--

“Holy crud, you’re huge!”

That had everyone turning their heads and looking down at Puck, him and Eiko having ceased their running around. There were several reactions and plenty of yells, both Freya and Fratley being quite vocal in particular - not to mention that Eiko looked ready to smack the young King - but Garnet couldn’t help but laugh. It felt good doing so and she continued for a few seconds, settling down shortly to see bewildered eyes looking her way, Puck’s among them. She shrugged her shoulders. “I’m not going to deny it. Honestly, he’s the first to not cover up how large I’ve grown by saying it’s ‘healthy’ or ‘motherly’.”

“Maybe not, but you still don’t say that to a Lady!” Eiko chided, hands on her hips as she glowered at Puck. “Aren’t you a King? Show some more tact!”

“But she knows I didn’t mean to insult her!”

“You should still apologize!”

Hilda cleared her throat and coolly leered down at the two young children, making both settle down and shuffle their feet. “Why don’t we settle in to eat? I’m sure everyone’s famished… Garnet, will Carolyn, Ana, or Doctor Tot be joining us?”

“I’m afraid not. It’s been years since a room’s been prepared for lying-in. They’ve been determined to make sure everything’s in order.” She had contributed herself, unable to leave the preparations to just those three. Specifically, she helped Carolyn take the Shard of Alexander from her Royal Pendant and place it into a relic said to be present in the chamber for each birth since Alexandros I. “They should be done tonight. I’ll make sure dinner is sent to them; at least they’ll be able to eat together.”

“They’ve been a group these last weeks,” Zidane chimed, pulling back Garnet’s chair so she could sit. “Carolyn expects everything should go without issue, but Anya and Doctor Tot have been going back and forth on safe draughts if Dagger needs them and problems that might come up if the baby has a horn or tail.”

“Oh, if there’s a horn, there shouldn’t be any issue,” Arc said, almost shocking everyone that he’d actually spoken up. Seemed he was aware of what he’d done and did his best to maintain composure as he went on. “Bewbor- _ New _ born summoners… will only have a barely visible bump on the center of their forehead. Should you for… any reason intend on removing it, it’s best to do that before they turn two.”

“That’s… good to know,” Zidane said, grimacing a little.

“Yes, thank you, Arc. However, horn or tail, we wouldn’t remove either from them. It’s a part of who they are,” Garnet said calmly, reaching to her right and patting Zidane’s hand. “And if they somehow have neither, that’s fine, too.”

“I assume it’s the same if they have both.” All eyes turned to Mikoto. She nodded once. “It’s possible, genetically speaking…”

“Don’t give us that nightmare. We already have one loudmouth with a horn, we don’t another with a horn  _ and _ a tail,” Amarant snorted.

“Hey! I know you mean me!”/”Hey! They might take after Dagger, not me!”

“Well, while they settle down, Mikoto, Arc, has there been any more progress?” Garnet asked, focusing on those two and not the sixteen year-old her husband had devolved to. It really was just like old times…

“Unfortunately, no. So far, each location we’ve approached had similar signatures, but I’ve recently concluded these areas to be places the Invincible has previously touched upon,” Mikoto answered, pausing momentarily when Eiko sprung up in her seat. “... Whether another sign of an attack or not, I’m unsure. I couldn’t say who was at the helm either.”

“Hm… it sounds peculiar, but even I have faint memories of being told that the planet’s pulse grants us a stronger connection to our eidolons.” Garnet raised a hand to her chin, and she thinks Mikoto reached the same conclusion just as she spoke again. “The Invincible was able to destabilize and weaken Alexander before defeating him. It could have been intentionally sealing these areas before the attack or after in order to hinder any surviving Summoners.”

“I can see that,” Mikoto sighed. “... Then, perhaps it’s better to re-examine each location and attempt to reopen that energy.”

“Oi, Mikoto, don’t overexert yourself,” Zidane interjected, his brows creased. “I know you’re already thinking about using Trance, but you don’t have that much experience. You can hurt yourself, you know? It happened the first few times I Tranced.”

“Does that risk matter? If it helps the Summoners sooner, isn’t the reward more advantageous?”

“Lady Mikoto, you’re already doing us a grand service finding potential homes. Ease your brother’s worries; let me discuss with the tribe the locations we have been and make a decision on where to go,” Arc suggested, doing his best to confidently smile. “While we do that, you could try exercising your powers?”

“Here, here! I agree with Arc, sis.”

“D-Don’t start that again…”

“It’s good to see everyone’s well,” Freya commented, smiling as she gazed around the table. “High Priestess Kildea, how have things been in Cleyra this season?”

“Oh, Lady Freya, there’s no need to be so formal,” Kildea said, abashed with a tint of red coming through her fur. “It’s been well with a few setbacks. The desert evenings have grown cooler and several of our crops have struggled, but years living with our sandstorm has spoiled us. It often negated the cooler air and left the moisture to gather at the base of the tree. We’ve been looking into harnessing the sun’s energy during the day to help with this.”

“The sun’s energy, you say?” Cid leaned forward in his seat. “May I inquire as to how you’ve been doing that?”

“You may, Regent! It’s quite interesting really, you see…”

“It might be a while before I can ask if Kildea would like the Desert Star back…” Garnet sighed, but smiled all the same. Just to have a full table and the hall filled by conversation, what was the harm in small delays if it permitted friends to catch up?

“Hey, if they don’t want it, we could take it back,” Puck said.

Fratley shook his head. “Your Majesty, it would be wise to leave that stone to those who know how to control its power. Besides, Burmecia has fared without it for hundreds of years.”

“Indeed, but we set aside many of our arts and magic as consequence,” Freya noted. “It may behoove you to encourage those studies again as the population grows, Your Majesty.”

“Well, trade knowledge for knowledge?” Kildea abruptly asked, looking towards them again. “There was an error in our practiced pacifism and reliance on the Desert Star when everything occurred. Should our magic be breached again, if some or all of the citizens knew how to fight, more of us could survive.”

“If only we could remain at peace for years to come…” Garnet closed her eyes and bowed her head. She may not like the discussion of any future fights or invasions right now, but she couldn’t deny the inevitability of it. “The future is always uncertain. Even without the Mist, there will always be people who are filled by greed and the need for power, seeking ways to obtain them and not caring who may suffer as a consequence. All we can do is maintain the current calm we have and leave our knowledge for those who come after.”

There were solemn words of agreement around the table. She hadn’t meant to bring the mood down and she looked Zidane’s way, hoping he may have some way to alleviate the cooled atmosphere in the hall. He nodded back and raised his glass. 

“Hey, let’s raise a quick toast to being able to get together. It’s been a crazy time for all of us in some way. Seeing to the rebirth of our old homes in new ways-” He nodded to Freya, Fratley, Puck, and Kildea with a glance towards Mikoto and Viveca. “- gaining surprising new allies and friends through conflict-” He more accurately nodded to Mikoto, Viveca, and Arc this time, the last of whom shrunk slightly. “- taking time to help out friends with some of those projects even if they don’t wanna say the ‘f’ word...”

“Don’t make me deck you later.”

“Love you too, Amarant!”

There was some politely restrained laughter around the table so Zidane could continue speaking. “- and last, expecting to turn… a new chapter in life…” There was a twinkle in his eyes as he looked Garnet’s way, and it remained as he addressed the table on. “Let’s enjoy the now and hope we can continue to gather like this for years to come.”

“Cheers!”

Glasses clattered just as the kitchen doors opened, Quina and the chefmeisters appearing with trays finally ready for the table. “Feast for friends now served!” At once, the hall was again flooded by voices and cheer, and the worries her own words stirred quieted in Garnet’s mind. May they be blessed with this joy indeed. 

She placed a hand on stomach and closed her eyes…

…

Barely it felt as though their heads had just touched the pillows for the night before Zidane found himself alert and awake, cerulean eyes adjusting to their shared darken room fast. Sitting up, a quick check of their surroundings revealed their chamber undisturbed and allowed him to face whom he chiefly suspected of stirring him awake. Garnet’s back was towards him which was not in itself odd, but her breathing had changed. Also, from her shifting, she was far more discomforted than she had become in recent months.

“Dagger?” he whispered, leaning over to see her. He wondered if it could be a nightmare, but her eyes opened to him. No, she was forcing them open, but the rest of her face was twisted in pain. He watched, eyes widening, as she winced and bit her lip while trying to maintain a steady breath. “Dagger…!?”

“Z-Zidane…” She cringed again, lips pulled thin. It took a few seconds before she spoke again. “I’m sorry. I’ve been trying not to scream, but i-it’s time. Please, send someone to inform Carolyn…!”

“It’s… it’s time? Now!?”

Garnet couldn’t bring herself to verbally answer, nodding her head fiercely while steadying her breath. Zidane didn’t want to leave her, not while she was in pain, but he knew he had to. Making sure she was covered, he sprang out of bed and hurried to the door, throwing it open. He really needed to stop startling the soldiers posted on duty, but no time.

“The baby’s coming! Inform the midwife! Find the General so the Queen can be escorted to the birthing room!”

“Right away, Your Majesty!”

With the soldier off, Zidane turned away without closing it and saw Garnet as the hallway’s light fell upon her. She’d turned over - sweat covered her face and she seemed to be desperately trying not to cry out. For how long, he wondered, quietly making his way back towards the bed. Had she been trying not to awaken him? He’d like to think it’d only started, but he couldn’t in any way know. Sitting on the edge, he watched, wanting to be able to do something -  _ anything _ that might help her with the pain, but…

Blinking, he noticed her hand clenching the sheets he’d thrown from himself. Looking from it, to her closed eyes, and back, he reached out and relieved the sheets from her grasp, replacing them with his own hand. Internally, he winced as she squeezed, but that was fine with him.

“I’m here, Dagger. You’re doing good… They’re coming to take you soon.”

“Zid… ane…”

He shifted closer at her whimper, taking her next squeeze without thought. He pressed his forehead to hers and draped his tail over her back. “I’m right here… as long as I can be.”

And yet, that wouldn’t be long enough - to him, it was much too soon. He didn’t want to leave her without him, but she was taken from his hand and hold. Garnet was being escorted away, and into a place even he was forbidden to enter; and all he could do for her was wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Recently, I've been taking titles from a certain soundtrack. Anyone wanna guess? Might give them a prize lol.
> 
> Anyway, THE TIIIME HAS COME! Also, can you tell this chapter was like... 'I'm ready to write the next chapter, but I have to get through this one'? Still, it was nice to have other characters come up... and if anyone is wondering what Amarant and Lani are doing, they're helping with the Black Mage Village what with repairs and fending off monsters. The life of ex-bounty hunters amirite? Alright, I have like... two more chapters for this story basically, maybe a one-shot sixth part after, but we'll get there when we get there.
> 
> Welp, not much more to say as it's time to work on the next chapter so please leave a comment, kudos, and subscribe and I'll see you in then!


	11. All the Warm Lives, Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The time has come, but Zidane is on the other side of the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Shinji Hashimoto, developed and published by Squaresoft, and re-released since by Square Enix. Please support the official releases.
> 
> Beta Reader(s): Ami and Jo

Never had he before stared so intently at a door, but he counted the same number of grains for the last few hours and knew he was recounting them. If he didn’t do this, he’d begin pacing and they’d soon find out if one could walk a groove into the ground. If he didn’t do either… well, he didn’t know what he would do. He wasn’t going to walk away, but he didn’t know if he’d be able to stand up any longer. If something else changed, maybe he could calm down. Why couldn’t he be in there with Garnet? Or maybe this was why; he was stressed out enough on this side of the door, he’d make it worse next to her in there.

This room - this lying-in chamber as it was called - was located in a low-trafficked hallway in the main castle, its nearest shared location being one of the two libraries more frequented by scholars. It wasn’t too far from the private gardens, and Zidane would assume that design was deliberate. Once all was said and done, he was informed that she would remain here for a few weeks to recover with the baby; and while they would encourage her to move around, it wouldn’t be ideal for her to walk too far.

But this had already been so long, it felt.

Every time Beatrix or Mikoto came out, his attention snapped to them, but neither seemed to acknowledge. Instead, they walked away only to return in a few minutes with something else for the room. Sometimes it was more water, one time it was food - Mikoto had hay at one point, but he wasn’t about to ask why hay. Instead, he was back at the closed door and listening, trying to hear anything. Freya and Hilda hadn’t come out once; what the hell was going on?

“Your Majesty, be at ease. The Queen is in good hands,” Steiner attempted to assure him, but Zidane continued to hover barely centimeters from the door. Carolyn had years of experience - served several of Alexandria’s previous queens and plenty of women between classes - but he’d never seen Garnet in physical pain like this. And would this be every time they had a kid? Maybe they should just have one; he’d totally be fine with that if it meant never doing this to her again. He’d be surprised if she wanted another, but gods, what if she did want another? Hopefully not on his suggestion of three or four -  _ how could he expect three or four _ , he was insane.

“King Zidane, your tail…” Fratley commented, but Zidane dragged his hands over his face, eyes wide.

“Steiner, how many kids do royal families usually try to have?” he asked abruptly and Steiner briefly choked. They could get away with the minimum, right? Not that there was  _ a _ minimum expected births recorded from what he recalled. Wait, Zidane noticed he’d said Steiner. Something was wrong with him; he could call him Rusty right now, but he couldn’t.

“Well... a single heir is sufficient. However, a girl would be preferred as Alexandria has a history of monarchs,” Steiner started slowly, watching Zidane nod. “Right, you know that part… hrrm, two?”

“Dammit,” Zidane groaned, covering his face. “Did you see how she looked when they took her inside? And we need to have one more?”

“It’s not a requirement, Your Majesty. Just the advised should anything happen,” Steiner noted, his own expression rather distressed. Wearily looking his way, Zidane had to face the wall again and frantically card through his hair, letting his head hang.

“Shit… sorry. I’m not… trying to downplay your feelings about this, Rusty.” He sighed. “‘Course you’re freaking out about this, too. You’ve been her knight for years…”

“Indeed! However, I’m... aware of what this process entails and believe the Queen is in capable hands, all of them!”

“... All of them, huh?”

That was true. Carolyn had the skills, but Garnet had the support of Anya, Beatrix, Freya, Hilda, and Mikoto. Doctor Tot and Anya were both positive to have everything prepared in the event of sudden complications - not that Zidane wanted to imagine those complications occurring. Perhaps he was the weird one wanting to be in there, holding her hand and assuring her. Oddly enough, none of the books in the library exactly had anything documented on what was going on so he hadn’t the faintest idea what normally happened anyway. Still, he couldn’t get over the fact she’d been trying not to alarm him when it first started. She didn’t need to be considerate of his sleeping habits when it came to this.

He dropped into a crouch next to the door, scowling. “I still wish I could do something for her. It was both of us that got into this mess so why does it have to hurt her?”

“One of the unfortunate mysteries in this world,” Cid sighed, stroking his beard. “Were I a man that delved into life studies, perhaps I’d have an answer. But, at this time, this is why we must acknowledge her strength.”

“Yeah…” Zidane rubbed the back of his head, but then placed his arms back across his knees, letting out a breath. Maybe if he sang? But looking over his shoulder, Cid, Fratley, and Steiner were right there, Amarant was leaning against the wall with his arms across his chest, and Eiko was standing by, her head bobbing in a poor attempt to stay awake. She didn’t have to be there - she was too young to go in - but every time Cid attempted to take her back to bed, she kicked up a fuss. Sighing again, Zidane wondered what a King was supposed to do at this time - were they  _ not _ supposed to hover around the door? Were they stoic and expected to contain their emotions?

“ _ Argh! _ ” Both hands frantically mussed his hair and he curled up even more.

“Damn, this is pathetic.”

“Shut up, Amarant. It’s not your wife having a baby.”

“Thank Gods for that…”

Zidane scowled in Amarant’s general direction, wanting to flip him off, but couldn’t. His hands had better things to do; like continuing to crush his own face in desperate urge to release  _ any _ of his pent-up nervous energy.

“Is no good…”

Hands dropped from his face, Zidane raised an eyebrow when he spotted Quina approaching in the hall. As usual - and expected as head chef at this point - they were carrying a tray from the kitchens with an assortment of food and drinks. He almost asked what was no good, but Quina’s tongue wagged. “No eat this morning. Skipping meals makes more nervous! No help!”

“Wha--?”

“Your Majesty, have you not eaten anything?” Steiner asked, alarmed. Zidane was bewildered himself, shooting a look at everyone present.

“Wait, when did you guys manage to  _ eat _ !? Did you leave at some point???”

“I did so after I attempted to put Eiko back to bed,” Cid said, his brows pressed tightly together. “Eiko did as well. Not much, but enough.”

“I accompanied Beatrix to the kitchens during one of her assignments,” Steiner explained.

“Amarant and I did so shortly before sunrise,” Fratley said and Amarant nodded confirmation on his part.

Zidane paused, blinking, “... It’s already sunrise?”

Steiner was flummoxed by the retort, Cid exhaling, and Fratley shaking his head in disbelief. Quina’s tongue wagged again.

“See? No good!” they scolded, pushing the tray towards Zidane. “Now eat!”

The monkey-tailed king grimaced, feeling his stomach turn. Maybe it would help his nerves if he ate a little, but part of him thought he might be ill from the attempt. He didn’t even know where Quina had gotten some of these foods - they should be out of season, or maybe he hadn’t paid attention to some of their trade from the Black Mage Village again. Steeling himself, he could at least manage to stomach a few berries, now irritated on top of his previous anxiety being watched by everyone else. Swallowing was a chore and each berry settled like a stone - no, he couldn’t do it. Exhaling through his nose, he opted to pick up a tea cup and try some of whatever Quina brewed, hoping a liquid would go down easier. 

It smelled lightly floral and familiar, and he stared as it took barely a second to click: chamomile tea. Garnet would have it on occasion, explaining how it helped calm her after some meetings or helped settle her running mind. Anya didn’t let her have it as often during the past months, but when Garnet could, Zidane would have some with her, sitting a little closer at the small table in their room. The tea would be served with one of her snacks for the day, and he made sure she had a little - just a nibble if she wasn’t feeling too hungry, but it was important she kept her energy up. Sometimes, it took a few gentle nudges, or nuzzles, and though she might pout, she let it go with a smile.

_ “Zidane, you’re incorrigible.” _

_ “I have no idea what that means.” _

He really didn’t, but that wasn’t important. However, thinking about just having that tea time and how he wanted to have it again with their baby beside them. She was in the care of people who’d always been helping them through this - it was going to be alright.

And he had to keep his energy up too right now, huh? Otherwise, what would he be able to do if he  _ was  _ needed?

“... Thanks, Quina.”

It was still difficult to stomach anything, but he tried, the tea helping better to wash it down and keep it from settling uncomfortably. He had no idea how much longer this might possibly take, but he had to be patient, something that was notoriously difficult once he was aware. Tail thumping against the ground, he continued taking slow sips between popping a few more berries into his mouth.

_ “AGH--!” _

The teacup slipping from his fingers was little consequence, its clattering against the ground mute to Zidane’s ears as he shot to his feet and rushed to the door. Hair and fur standing on end, his ear pressed against the door, he heard multiple reassuring voices - ‘You’re doing great’, ‘Start pushing’, ‘Keep breathing’ - but over it all, his chest was aching because Garnet’s sobbing was overpowering in his mind. He felt his fingers grasp the door handle to open it and there were several shouts behind him, telling him to stop, but he  _ needed _ to be in there - he could stand on this side anymore…!

And yet…

Trust her, trust them - she trusted them, and he said he trusted her on her decisions. 

If he opened that door and barged in, after he said that - he could feel the knob shaking in his unsteady grip. And it wasn’t like he  _ didn’t _ believe in the others either, but she was crying. Everything in him was screaming and his head was spinning as his tail whipped wildly, that far-too familiar prickling at his back. He shut his eyes tight, doing his best to calm himself.

His fingers were stiff as he let go of the door.

“Dagger…” His voice cracked as he tried to speak loud enough for her to hear him. He pressed his forehead against the door, the angle lessening the sounds, but he could still hear enough. Her crying had softened and the voices had stopped speaking, but he knew the tears still had to be falling. “It’s gonna be okay… I trust you, remember? A-And you know I wanna be with you right now - if I could, I’d hold your hand through this, but I’m still right here. I’m not going anywhere… you can do this, okay? Everyone’s here supporting you.”

_ “... Z-Zidane.” _

He could barely hear her speak, and she was trying - forcing herself through the pain.

“I’m right here, but you’re in good hands there. Rusty won’t let me forget that,” he teased, but then knocked on the door. “You got this…!”

She didn’t respond after that. There was a whimper, and then, he heard the voices start up again. Listening in, he could probably imagine which role each person had in there. Beatrix and Freya could best withstand holding her hands with each wave of pain, Hilda knew how to encourage and calm; meanwhile, Mikoto would be ready with white magic, Anya could handle anything a spell couldn’t, and Carolyn could lead them all. Garnet was in capable hands, and he needed to repeat that.

_ “That’s it, Garnet.” _

_ “In and out. Don’t hold your breath too long…” _

_ “Okay, Your Majesty. Keep pushing… that’s it…!” _

Feeling several presences behind him, Zidane looked back to see that Steiner, Cid, Eiko, Fratley, and even Amarant had moved in closer, but weren’t straining as much to hear. It was close enough though to hear a gasp, Carolyn’s exclamation of ‘There we are!’, and then  _ it _ : the sounds of a new, unfamiliar crying.

“Is that…?” Eiko started to ask, but Zidane didn’t answer, his mouth parted as he gazed once again fixated at the door while the crying continued. Everyone inside was talking again, Carolyn’s voice a squawk reminding them about the afterbirth needing to pass, but he just kept listening to those newborn cries. A baby -  _ their _ baby was here and wailing, and he wanted to see, wanted to know what they looked like; already wanted to hold them and Garnet in his arms.

He felt something wet slide down his face, but didn’t address it when the light knocking came from the other side.

_ “It’s a girl, Your Majesty,” _ he could hear Anya say and his chest warmed.  _ “Also, she has a bump on her forehead. Congratulations.” _

A bump - a Summoner, but that would be a detail to sort out later when it grew. More important to him, it was a girl, a little Princess to love and hold and protect with his Queen. Raising a hand, he wiped his eyes, ignoring how much his cheeks were beginning to ache, but he couldn’t stop smiling. Garnet had done it, and it was only a matter of time before he would see them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like being able to write chapters like this one. It's so much fun trying to get across the turmoil a character is going through.
> 
> But more importantly, BABY! 
> 
> Now, before you ask why Zidane wasn't allowed into the room, it's a historical thing. Husbands weren't allowed in during the birth, leaving it to the midwife and other women to help _unless_ something went wrong. When doctors began getting more involved and pushing midwives and other support out, eventually the husband was allowed in. I have mixed opinions on it and some petty annoyances with the smaller details in the changes over time, but I'm not here to ramble about that. I'm going with what would be closer to the 'time' and highly likely in a world that has doctors _and_ white mages... and also none of our religious persecutions and thought.
> 
> At this point... I'm definitely thinking maybe two more chapters at mooost, and I had thoughts on either a sixth part where Garnet convinces him for baby number two, but that could easily be the last chapter also. I dunno, I'll have a talk with my beta readers about it. FOR NOW, as usual, so please leave a comment, kudos, and subscribe and I'll see you in the next chapter!


	12. Mother's Song

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garnet looks after her daughter as she recovers, in love and in wonder.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Shinji Hashimoto, developed and published by Squaresoft, and re-released since by Square Enix. Please support the official releases.
> 
> Beta Reader(s): Ami and Jo

So small, Garnet thinks, as she touched her slumbering daughter’s small hand. Even days after having her, the young Queen couldn’t help but find herself still in awe of the young life she’d birthed. Soft, dark hair crowned her head much like her mother’s, but her eyes - oh, she had her father’s bright eyes when they were open, but that was _when_ they were open. Much of her daughter’s time was really devoted to eating, needing a change, and then sleeping again with scant hours where Garnet would just hold her as she attempted to gaze around the room. During these periods, Anya and Carolyn would arrive to assist her with some after birth matters she hadn’t been expecting; though they _did_ make sense as Anya explained more of the internal workings. Fortunate that there were magic spells and potions to help ease the process.

A soft exhale slipping from her lips, Garnet shifted closer to her infant, and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead, the little bump not yet emerging as a horn. What color would it be, she wondered, once it did begin to form. And how soon would her baby begin to communicate with it? Eiko would have to show the young child, or maybe Arc would be willing? No, both of them would be good teachers and maybe they could work together, filling in where Garnet could not in this unique summoning matter.

“Mmm, what eidolon will come to your call first, I wonder…” she whispered, but her pondering ceased as the baby shifted. She worried she accidentally roused her, but her tiny fists merely clenched and unclenched all while she continued to sleep. Shoulders shaking at her silent laugh, Garnet kissed her child again and settled in only to look towards the door at several faint knocks.

“... Come in,” she called, doing her best to project her voice while keeping her volume down. Though uncertain if it worked, the door did soon open slowly, and her expression brightened further upon seeing a familiar blonde head. “Zidane…”

“Hey, beautiful…” She hadn’t seen him without that smile every time he’d come to visit and it made her heart light. A quiet fear that had lingered throughout her pregnancy was Zidane possibly being disappointed by their child, but it had been a foolish thought quite easily stifled. He adored children and often interacted with them while in Alexandria or elsewhere; and that adoring eye had already honed in on their daughter. “How are you and our little princess doing today?”

“We’re doing well, my King,” Garnet murmured, stroking the infant’s head. “It’s almost time for her next feeding, and I may get a little exercise myself.”

“Oh yeah? Can I help?” he asked, settling himself down on the bed. His tail was wagging behind him and he stared at her with such childish eagerness, she stifled a laugh.

“I’m sure you can once Anya and Carolyn arrive. Until then…” Her voice trailed, and just like him, she looked to their daughter again. She was shifting a little more, and Garnet felt Zidane move closer on the bed. Every time he’d come to visit, it had been before the infant had awakened, or had just been rocked back to sleep. This time then - and he’d likely been timing himself to try seeing her. Neither of them said anything as her face scrunched, but Zidane tensed as those big eyes began to open and slowly began to blink away sleep.

“Someone woke up in time to see their father,” Garnet cooed, making sure to gather blankets around as she began to squirm a little with her arms and feet. It worried her in the first few days that she might be smothering, but Carolyn assured her their daughter needed some limitation to her movements lest she become uncomfortable or hurt herself. “We’ll have you wrapped up properly soon.”

“Wow…”

Zidane’s voice was just a whisper. Glancing his way, how soft his expression was only further made her smile; and she could see his arms shake a little like he wanted to reach out, but she tutted softly in his direction. “After she’s eaten, Zidane. It shouldn’t be long now…”

“I know… Gosh, I still can’t believe we - well, _you_ made her,” he sighed, and she felt his tail curled over her hip. “She’s so cute… the guys are not gonna believe we’re related.”

“How could they not? Anya’s fairly certain she’ll have your eyes.” Though, asking how she knew had resulted in the Genome excitedly and rather extensively going into genetics and dominant and recessive traits that Garnet had lost track of the finer details. “As for personality, we’ll see. Maybe she’ll be rambunctious and optimistic with a perchance of getting in trouble.”

“Nah… she’s going to be dutiful and fearless if a little too persistent in some thought…”

“She’ll probably attempt to scale the castle walls…”

“She’ll want to read every fictional book in the library.”

“Whoever she’s like - if she’s like either of us - I wish that she’s happy,” Garnet murmured, her eyes back on their baby who was looking around. “It’s unfortunate there must be one burden upon her, and that’s carrying the Alexandros title. I’d like it if she could choose to be herself.”

“It’ll be okay, Dags,” Zidane said, keeping his voice down. “Even if she’s expected to be Queen one day, we can give her time to figure things out. It’s not like you’re abdicating the throne when she turns three.”

“I know…”

If there was one thing now - of everything if she could avoid it - she wanted to help her daughter be ready. If her daughter _had_ to take the throne sooner, may she do it with more confidence than Garnet did at sixteen. No strict lock-ins, no deterring from the outside world, just the right amount of encouragement and discipline when needed. Between the two of them, they should have a good balance for that, right? They would also have help raising her, but what if Steiner and Beatrix decided they wanted a child soon? She bit the inside of her lip.

“I don’t expect us to be perfect, and there’s gonna be a little more into raising her like all those studies,” Zidane commented, snapping her back to the present. “But, we’ll figure things out. Course, we should start with a name.”

“... I have one, possibly.”

“Oh good ‘cause trying to think of one alone was impossible,” he said, ghosting a gesture of wiping his forehead and sighing. She rolled her eyes at his antics, but hummed.

“Isabella Val Alexandros… What do you think?”

“Isabella? Hm… Bella is an adorable nickname...” Zidane rubbed his chin with his hand. While he did so, he eased himself off the bed and started pacing around. “Princess Isabella Val Alexandros XVIII. Now announcing, Princess Isabella! Bella, c’mon, it’s bedtime! … Yeah, it sounds good when you say it.” He paused in his stride, thinking still. “... You didn’t want to name her Sarah?”

“... No. Even that name has expectations and I don’t want to put that upon her.” Pushing herself into sitting up, Garnet gathered Isabella into her arms, calming her whimpers from the movement. “One day, she’ll want to know what happened to Madain Sari, and I might not tell her my name, but someone may let it slip. I don’t want her to assume because she has the name from my past that she should be a Summoner for it.”

“She might not think that.”

“But she might…”

“Hey, calm down…” He approached the bed again and settled himself in where Isabella had been previously lying. She didn’t feel like she was getting incised, but his arm settling around her shoulders quelled her racing heart and the uneasy bubbling in her stomach. The slight bump of his forehead to hers made her look into his eyes. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make it sound like I didn’t like Isabella or anything. I just wanted to hear more of your thoughts regarding why not Sarah. And you’re right, might is still a maybe, and I’d rather our daughter be able to have some pressure off her between what she wants to do and what she’ll _have_ to do.”

“Thank you.” Smiling, she tilted her head and he met her halfway with a brief kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, too…”

His voice trailed at a light series of knocks and she felt his tail wrap around her waist. It loosened when the door opened slowly to reveal Anya and Carolyn, but he didn’t let go - she wondered why.

“We’d been told Your Majesty had come this way. I hope we’re not interrupting,” Caroyln said, looking between them as she closed the door. Both shook their heads, but all eyes fell to Isabella as she began to whine again. “Oh my, Her Highness is awake already. We should change her first before she eats then.”

“Then we’ll have to delay your medicine until after she’s finished eating,” Anya commented. “You’re not in any pain right now, are you, Queen Garnet?”

“No, I’m alright. I was wondering about possibly going for a small walk actually.”

“In the gardens I take it?” The Genome doctor tapped her cheek, thinking. “... Well, I’ll help you change and we’ll see how you’re feeling after. Does that sound fair?”

“Yes, it does.” Garnet hadn’t stood up for today yet so it was reasonable to think she might begin feeling those still lingering aches once she did. But as Carolyn also said, they had to take care of Isabella first. Shifting, she looked Zidane’s way upon realizing his tail still lingered. “Zidane, I need to get up.”

“Right,” he answered, wiggling his tail. It was only then he seemed to notice what it had done and withdrew it. Back on his feet, he turned and waited for her to adjust her hold on Isabella, freeing one hand so she could be helped off the bed slowly. There was a faint prickling in her feet and legs, and some light aching in her abdomen, but nothing so much that she needed to sit down again. As Carolyn was gathering clean towels from the nearby low-table’s drawer and laying them upon the surface, Anya was placing a few assorted bottles just above them, pausing to change one. Garnet walked over with Zidane’s help and a glance his way, he appeared quite befuddled. “... So, I _can_ help with this, right?”

“You can.” He must be overwhelmed just by the sight of the bottles, but she knew Anya was likely reorganizing her bag. She had a habit of letting it fall into disarray inside - they should get her a new one as a thank-you gift.

“Will King Zidane be handling the changing then, Queen Garnet?” Carolyn asked, the corners of her mouth turning upward in a grin when Garnet nodded. “Wonderful! It’s always a delight when Kings participate actively in their child’s care. Why don’t I show him what to do while Anya takes you to freshen up, Your Majesty? We should be able to cover bundling before you return.”

“I suppose we could do that…” It would only be a few minutes, but dropping her gaze to Isabella, she didn’t want to let go. She knew they would be fine and Zidane wanted the opportunity, but what if something _did_ happen? Their daughter was delicate right now, but did she really not think her husband would be careful? Biting her lower lip, it was with some reluctance that she placed Isabella down on the changing table - even more when she stepped away from it, and accepted Anya’s hand. Their daughter was becoming fussier by the second, and each step away from her, Carolyn, and Zidane had her heart sinking.

“We’ll be back in a moment,” Anya announced once they reached the door, but while her voice carried to the other two, her eyes were on Garnet. She patted the Queen’s hand, nodding. “Right back… They’ll take care of her…”

“... Isabella. We’re calling her Isabella Val Alexandros.”

“That’s a beautiful name, Your Majesty.”

Anya was like that all the way to the bathing room, doing her best to keep Garnet’s mind at ease even as the maids took over to help her bathe and wash her hair. When she stepped out of the tub to dry and dress, Anya took a moment to give a physical examination and ask how she was feeling. Physically, Garnet was feeling better, but she couldn’t push aside her anxiety after months of carrying Isabella as a part of her. Was this normal and would it happen with any subsequent kids?

“It might,” Anya said suddenly, making her jump. The Genome gave her a sheepish smile. “I’m sorry, Your Majesty. You were thinking out loud. Anyway, I’d recommend asking Carolyn, but from my preliminary research, it’s different from mother to mother. You being attached is no more strange than a mother who may not. Of course, our construct was to ensure our offspring’s survival so - should there be any complications down the line - King Zidane will fill in.”

“Ah…” Garnet didn’t know how to feel about that. She understood what Anya was implying, but she remembered Zidane’s words the day she told him she was pregnant: Garland did think about most everything and that _was_ creepy. And then, she recalled what his tail had done earlier. “... I’ll assume that extends to protecting me?”

“Oh yes, but given King Zidane’s personality, he’d do it anyway,” Anya answered, but then tilted her head. “Hm… Or perhaps his attraction to you _is_ what awakens that instinct. It’s one thing to designate the Genomes to protect each other, but something about his extending it to you… I think I need to study this more.” 

She quieted herself, and seemed to mentally go elsewhere. Garnet decided to leave Anya to think in order to put her gown on and have her hair brush out. When her maids finished, the young Queen decided to clear her throat slightly, and see if it snapped Anya out of her thoughts. Fortunately, it did, but she flushed at her realization. “F-Forgive me… Ah, let’s get you back to the King and little Princess, yes?”

The brilliant blush remained on Anya’s face for most of their walk back to the lying-in room, but faded by the time they knocked on the door. Garnet almost expected _some_ chaos on the other side, but it opened to reveal a sight that had her eyes watering instead.

Zidane was seated on her bed, Isabella wrapped snugly in her blanket and awake, and Carolyn standing beside him, hands on her hips as she watched the King cradle their daughter. Her wide, bright blue eyes were gazing up at him and at his tail which he was waving before her face, and how she squealed in delight when it touched upon her nose, making her wriggle and try reaching for it. Of course, her arms were restrained to prevent her from doing so, but his tail returned to tickle her nose, keeping her from getting frustrated. Grinning wide, he leaned closer and as his tail drew away this time, he pressed a kiss to Isabella’s forehead. Pulling back to chuckle after her gasp, he turned his head, and had his bright smile aimed Garnet’s way.

“Welcome back. I might’ve gotten her a little worked up,” he said, and she was positive he would’ve rubbed his head if he could.

Carolyn rolled her eyes. “More than, Your Majesty, but this does mean she should eat well. Queen Garnet…?”

“... Would it be alright to feed her in the gardens?” Garnet asked softly, raising her hands to gently wipe her eyes. She heard the bed creak, and upon lowering her hands, of course he was right there for her with Isabella between them, quiet and confused. Carolyn wasn’t by the bed anymore either; and Garnet looked over her shoulder as her cloak came to rest over her back. The midwife made some slight adjustments before straightening it and nodding.

“You can, but both of you must keep warm,” she lectured, waving a few feathers. “Anya and I will accompany you two, _but_ we’ll grant you a respectable distance.”

“I can agree with those terms.” The very last thing Garnet wanted to do was let Isabella get cold. 

Taking a moment to make sure her cloak was fastened around her, her attention fell again to their infant and the hold Zidane had on her. Gentle, but firm, she didn’t think he wanted to let go much like she hadn’t before. However, after several seconds of silence passed, he began to relinquish his grip and carefully passed Isabella over into Garnet’s arms, unmoving until her hold was secure. And with her cloak falling enough to shield Isabella on her chest, they were ready.

Anya held the door for the couple to pass through, and the party of four took their time proceeding down the hallway to step out into the small gardens courtyard. It was overcast, but bright enough in the daytime; and though most of the plants were barren of their usual vegetation, their branches still bore snow from a recent fall. The top layer of frost covering their trail faintly crunched beneath their feet as they walked, Garnet and Zidane several steps ahead of Anya and Carolyn as agreed.

Nothing was said between them, but Garnet leaned her head against his shoulder and again, felt his tail secure itself around her waist beneath the cloak. Isabella was quiet, but a quick peek down revealed her gazing around and trying to see all she could from within her warm confines. While a beautiful scene for her parents, the gray and white didn’t hold her interest long, and it wasn’t long before she proceeded to gum at her mother’s chest. Upon feeling this, Garnet halted her steps and began to carefully maneuver in order to expose one breast without exposing herself or Isabella to the elements. She felt Zidane watching, but he couldn’t see what she was doing; and all her bustling stopped once she felt Isabella latch on, leaving him perplexed.

“It’s alright. She wanted to eat now,” Garnet whispered, raising her head to look at him. That reply seemed to satisfy him for the most part, but something about his gaze seemed curious - not that he would say whatever was on his mind aloud. Instead, the wondering twinkle was masked as he put on a grin.

“Great. I was getting worried for a moment.”

“Even if she ended up eating a little now, she would make it up later,” she assured him. “A little playtime with her father wouldn’t change that.”

“Her father…” The way he spoke, sighing with such awe, she wasn’t surprised to find him suddenly hugging her close, mindful of the small body nestled against her bosom. “I can’t believe it… I still feel like I’m dreaming, y’know? We have a family, Dagger.”

“We have a home…”

“A home… yeah. That’s right.” She felt his hand cup her cheek and she leaned into his palm, staring into his bright cerulean eyes reflecting the smile he wore. “This is my home… I love you, both of you.”

“We love you too, my dear.”

And this time, she met him halfway when he leaned down, sealing their declarations once more on that frosty winter day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's kind of sad, y'know? There's only one chapter left to this... and maybe another part that's a one-shot, but details!
> 
> Still, Coalesce and this collection itself are near its end. I wonder... if I wrote this because I wanted some 'after the adventure ends' stuff or because I wanted to explore a possibility with the Summoners still being around. I guess both, and also because I wanted to do a little something for Zidane and Garnet getting together with no 'end of the world' plot on their shoulders. If anything, any and all threats that might pop up while they're still on the throne won't be as big as Garland and Terra; that would be down the line, left to one of their kids or even further descendants. Will I ever write that? No idea... I'm a little more vested in two AUs that might pop up later this year~
> 
> Well, I'll leave proper farewells for the story in the next chapter, and see about getting a few more drawings related to this story done (Mikoto's been posted on my tumblr). For now, as usual, please leave a comment, kudos, and subscribe and I'll see you in the next one!


	13. Rebirth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Final Fantasy IX was created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and Shinji Hashimoto, developed and published by Squaresoft, and re-released since by Square Enix. Please support the official releases.
> 
> Beta Reader(s): Ami and Jo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time continues ever forward on this new world...

Two years…

She couldn’t believe so much time had already passed; and yet, it was right -  _ felt _ right too. Sitting on her throne before the Council, Queen Garnet Til Alexandros XVII quietly mused as discussions of winter stock were traded before her. There was nothing worrisome floated in the conversation which was why her thoughts had drifted to this fact. She just remembered, it hadn’t been so long ago that Isabella was born, but she would be turning two come winter. And what a charming little girl she was already proving to be.

Garnet thinks Isabella got it from her father being so bright and curious, but Zidane insisted that it was all Garnet. Even before she could manage to walk, their daughter caused quite a bit of panic crawling everywhere she could if a door did not bar her path. One might think at least stairs would prove an obstacle, but no, much to everyone’s chagrin. Poor Steiner needed to be dismissed early one day when she managed to get outside - he assumed she’d fallen into the river somehow until Beatrix found him with the missing toddler in her arms. Fortunately, if anyone could keep track of the traveling child, it was her father and his tail stopping numerous dangerous wanderings before they could start.

These days, she now just had to worry what they were  _ both _ doing.

_ “... and the coliseum should be able to host the first fighting tournament in Treno come next spring. The announcements have been delivered to each nation, and towns on the other continents.” _

“Yes, that’s wonderful news,” Garnet answered, back at attention with a nod. Turns out when a city wasn’t left to allow tax evasions, it could be properly built back into the place it was meant to be. In Treno’s case, it was returning to being the city to go to for architecture and entertainment that it had been before her adoptive father’s passing. “What about the chocobo ranch in Dali?”

_ “Growing, Your Majesty. Actually, Mayor Kapu would like to discuss with you on a future date the possibility of racing chocobos.” _

“Racing chocobos?” She raised a hand to her lips while considering. “Hmm… so long as conditions remain well, I suppose we could consider the idea. We’ll focus on getting the kingdom through winter first.”

_ “Of course. The last note to discussion… right, monsters venturing from the Ice Cavern…” _

“I’ll contact Regent Cid and inform him we’re posting several guards in Dali for this issue. They should be capable of dealing with any monsters that prove hostile, but should they have any trouble, I know hunters we can contract.” And while she knew her Uncle would already understand, any military presence near the border was still worth being wary of. That was just how it was in the political world. It might be five years, but it could be ten and there would be people who remained wary of another war happening. They just had to be careful; and with a soft exhale, she looked around at her Council. “If there’s nothing else for today, you’re all dismissed. Thank you for coming as always.”

Her council members rose, bowing to her as they made their departure from the chambers, and she rose to her feet herself as the doors opened. Watching them go, she was  _ not _ surprised when they parted, and followed the young Princess running as fast as her little legs could carry her passed, delightfully repeating ‘Mama!’ all the way. Her heart warmed, Garnet knelt down and held her hands out, picking up Isabella once she neared, drawing her into her arms.

“Hello, my little bellflower. Did you have a fun day with your father?” Garnet asked gently, kissing Isabella’s cheek first and the tiny blue bump protruding from her forehead. Giggling, Isabella latched her arms around her mother’s neck and nuzzled cheek-to-cheek. Beaming, her large teal eyes met her mom’s as she leaned back, but just enough to look up.

“Mama play now?”

“Yes, mama’s done with work for today, but do you remember? We’re visiting Miss Ruby today,” Garnet said. “She has a surprise for you.”

“Boo!”

“Hehe, that’s right.”

“Boo!” Two hands abruptly landed on Garnet’s shoulders, making her jolt and then immediately, her face burned. Isabella giggled and Garnet’s head snapped towards Zidane, her embarrassment only slightly alleviated by his lips touching her cheek as he sidled to her side. “Surprise, my Queen~”

“Haha, boo, mama! Boo!”

“Yes, it seems your father surprised me,” Garnet sighed, her flush lessening, but still present and pink. Her cheeks puffed as she pouted at Zidane’s grin, but she would get the last laugh. She adjusted Isabella into one arm and startled him by grabbing his choker and pulling him down for a proper kiss. Letting go, he stumbled several steps back, his eyes bulging and his tail straight behind him. He froze to the spot, but then, his expression melted into a dazed smile. Sliding back over, he wrapped his arms around them both and hugged tight.

“Well, well, I hear I’m taking my two favorite ladies out tonight,” he teased, looking between them. “Whaddya say? A trip to the mini-theater to see Ruby and Ashley before their show in Treno… maybe - I dunno - seeing some weird guys named Blank, Cinna, and Marcus. Oh, and this old man named Baku…”

“Baku!” Isabella exclaimed, rocking in Garnet’s hold with such exuberance that she had to take hold with both arms again.

“I thought we were going to surprise her with them?” Garnet whispered, her eyebrow rising while Isabella continued bouncing and chanting names. She’d been with Zidane all day; how did she still have this much energy? Garnet could not be sure where it came from.

“Nah, they found something good when they went wandering about the Forgotten Continent, but mom has to have final say if she gets to have it,” he explained, but that only befuddled her further. Placing his hand on Isabella’s head, she finally seemed to settle down, but still chattered and giggled at a lower volume. “Y’know, we  _ meant _ to do something today, but Artemicion came by before we got far.”

“Artemicion? Oh, who wrote?”

Releasing the two from his arms, they could finally begin to walk from the throne room. As they ventured, the young king resumed conversation.

“Fratley and Mikoto. I read them while Bella played with Artemicion…” he explained, but Garnet already knew what he meant with a grimace. It wasn’t Isabella’s fault. She was still learning muscle control according to Anya, and tended to play a bit too rough. Even Zidane had lost patches of fur on his tail from their toddler’s grabbing and yanking. Nodding for him to continue, he was back to all smiles. “Fratley wanted to know if we were interested in visiting the kits soon. I think he’s been having some trouble with Freya traveling back and forth to Cleyra.”

“Considering we had our hands full with just one, I’m sure he has with three,” she replied. “Not to mention, one has been showing an aptitude towards magic already.”

“Yeah. Can’t blame him for not knowing where to start with that training,” Zidane hummed, rubbing the back of his head. “But I think Freya’s talking to Kildea about it and that’s why she’s going so often to help train knights.”

“That does make sense.”

“I’m kinda surprised she didn’t ask you.”

“She did. However, we already concluded this wasn’t magic I could help with and believe it must be drawn upon in a similar way to the Maidens in Cleyra.”

“Ooooh, that makes sense,” Zidane mused. “Huh. Well, magic woes aside, Mikoto was asking for some… advice. I think my dear little sister has a crush on a certain nervous chief.”

“Oh, you think so?” Garnet chimed. She wasn’t going to say that she actually  _ knew _ that - Eiko had wormed that little realization out of Mikoto about a month ago. To say she didn’t know how to handle it would be an understatement; and were it not for the black mage children piling on, their genome guardian probably would’ve performed her normal abashed disappearing act. In one ear, Garnet heard Isabella begin chanting ‘Miko! Miko!’ while Zidane looked positively smug.

“Isn’t it ironic? Her crushing on a summoner too? I’m gonna enjoy this~”

“Zidane, don’t tease your sister. What would you do if the feeling’s mutual?”

“I’ll… huh.” He halted in both voice and step while Garnet continued walking, stopping once she reached the foot of the staircase. Turning to look back at him, her husband’s face was almost unreadable, but only until he reached some shocking realization. And once he did, his eyes widened with a start. “Wait! She can’t just jump into courting him!”

“You’re right...” Now it was Garnet’s turn to tease. “They’ve known each other for so long already and had their own journey. It might be time for a wedding; like brother, like sister…”

_ “WHAT!?” _

“I’m kidding…” Mostly, Garnet mentally added, watching Zidane’s complexion return. He jogged down those remaining steps to join her again, but still appeared to be mentally processing the possibility of his sister getting married. She decided to shift subjects again to refocus him. “Speaking about weddings, the Captain and General aren’t escorting us tonight. He wanted my blessings so I’m expecting that he’ll ask her this evening.”

“Really? Da… Dang, it’s about time,” Zidane corrected himself, eyeing Isabella. She fortunately wasn’t paying attention; instead, she was staring around as they finally stepped out of the castle to head through the courtyard towards the ferry dock. Pleased to see her distracted, he ventured on. “I can’t believe Beatrix isn’t asking him. They’ve been going around each other so long and he’s gotten better about  _ not _ being traditional, but still… almost five years.”

“Actually, the General  _ may _ be planning to ask the same question tonight,” Garnet giggled. “This is her getting ‘impatient’, but she doesn’t know what he intends either.”

“Darn. I’ll have to find out how it goes!”

“You’re not going to try finding out now?”

“Hey, I have my own plans tonight. Rusty will be fine - he doesn’t need a wingman watching him.”

Down by the docks, they waited for the ferry to arrive, and Isabella was starting to get bouncy in her arms again. Slowly, Garnet eased her daughter down to stand, holding onto her hands until she tried to scamper off, signaling she wanted to roam on her own. Zidane’s tail wrapped around her waist and Garnet let go, and both parents watched Isabella toddle around the cobblestone. At first, she seemed to be interested in waddling around them, pausing at the first steps down towards the water, but the fountain soon caught her eyes. She walked, but didn’t pull Zidane’s tail as he followed along, stopping her from outright climbing into the water while giving her enough leeway to touch the surface. Something about water excited her so much, and she hopped with each splash she made and several times looked her father’s way, wanting him to do the same. Of course he wasn’t going to deny her, splashing a little water her way and making her squeal in delight.

Garnet watched on with a warm smile, resting her hands over her stomach. Briefly, she looked away to see how far the ferry was and turned back to see the expectant eyes of her daughter gazing towards her. However, she noticed the rather quizzical eye Zidane had on her as she walked over to join them. Splashing a little water herself to entertain Isabella, Garnet raised her eyes to meet his and she tilted her head.

“Is something wrong?”

“No… but I have been meaning to ask,” he started, raising his eyebrows. He was trying to puzzle something together, and he was obviously trying to pick his words to avoid twenty questions. Not that she would mind. “... You’re growing your hair out again?”

“I am… does it look bad?”

“What? No, never, but…” He placed a hand on his chin, tapping his foot. Garnet sat herself down on the fountain’s edge, and quickly found her lap occupied by her daughter. Zidane’s tail unwound as her hands secured Isabella instead. “... it seems longer than the usual length you leave it at.”

“I suppose it has gotten that long.”

“Yeah, the last time you let it grow out like this…”

His voice trailed and it seemed to click. She didn’t say anything as his eyes darted from her face, to her hair, to her stomach, and then back up to see her laugh. “Boo~” And in her lap, Isabella turned away from the water, raising her hands as she exclaimed ‘Boo!’ too. It had been a while since her husband had been left speechless and gaping, leaving Garnet to fill the silence by saying, “Ten weeks. If all goes well, they’ll be here in time for summer.”

“S-Summer… we’ll…” he finally sputtered, but his eyes were practically glowing. His tail wagged furiously and he hugged them both again, showering her with a smattering of kisses. When he pulled away and noticed Isabella blinking at them, he gave her a kiss, too. “You’re gonna be a big sister… and I guess we’ll be surprising the guys now. Wow…!”

“It’s just turning into an evening full of surprises,” she said and pressed a kiss to his cheek. If not for that night where his troupe had come to kidnap her and he vowed to do so - and then he’d come home to her. “... I think we could have more evenings like this.”

Dropping her gaze to Isabella, she brushed her daughter’s hair behind her ear and began to hum under her breath a familiar melody. For years, singing it without accompaniment, but at her side, she began to hear him hum along with her and giving depth to their duet. Isabella leaned her head against Garnet’s chest, staring at the two with twinkling eyes, and tried her best to hum along at every odd note, and Garnet felt her heart fill.

“I love you, Dagger…”

Quieting her melody, she turned and bumped her forehead against Zidane’s, russet eyes gazing deep into his cerulean ones. “I love you too, Zidane… Keep singing with me?”

“As long as I can, my Queen.”

And as she resumed their song, so did he join in. They beamed as their daughter joined in, the three content as they waited beneath the twin pale moons. This was still the beginning of a new chapter to their future, and Garnet was more than ready to meet it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnd with this, 'Coalesce' is at its end. While I do have another part (or two) in regards to some things (seriously, next I sort of intend another E part with our couple making their second and another part might be Zidane having a mental crisis at their only son's birth), I'll move onto other pastures writing here.
> 
> ... So, Angel of Death!AU or a Modern!AU? Which would you guys like to see small teasers for?
> 
> Anyway, some details I've come up with but won't get around to mentioning in a full story:  
> \- Isabella's first summon is gifted to her after the end of this chapter. Tantalus found a gem from Terra while exploring the Forgotten Continent/Ispen's Castle and the Eidolon housed inside is either Bismarck or Famfrit.  
> \- They end up having four kids. It takes coaxing from Garnet for each kid because Zidane's just against putting her through it so much (like yeah, they have some fun when she is pregnant but dear god the birth process. He's at the door with the rest of them, too)  
> \- The last child to be born is their son and yes, if you know where this is going, it is Kuja reborn. Zidane immediately wants to raise him happy and loved.  
> \- Two daughters have horns with the third daughter and son having tails.
> 
> Annnd that's about it for final notes. If I write that part with Zidane regarding his son, I'll save everything else for then. I still have those drawings coming so keep an eye on my tumblr; meanwhile here, I still have other stories to write so time to get to work! Thank you for reading and as always, please leave a comment, kudos, and subscribe and I'll see you in the next story!


End file.
